Project ALERT has had many exciting milestones over the years. To celebrate the beginning of another year, we thought it would be fun to reflect back on some of the most memorable events and share them with you.
OUR TEACHERS!
We trained our 10,000th teacher in 1997.
We trained our 20,000th teacher in 2000.
We trained our 30,000th teacher in 2002.
We trained our 40,000th teacher in 2005.
We trained our 50,000th teacher in 2009.
1998 was our peak training year. 5826 teachers trained that year.
Historically California is the state with the most trained Project ALERT teachers.
Overall 65.2% of teachers have been trained in workshops and 31.3% have been trained online.
OUR VIDEOS!
We have had 81 different titles or remakes of Project ALERT videos.
Tobey Maguire, the actor who played Spiderman, also played a character named TK in the 1992 version of Pot the Party Crasher.
Project ALERT videos in DVD format were introduced in 2004.
Richard Harris, editor of Titanic, directed/edited the 2006 classroom videos.
Bo Derek narrated the 2006 Overview video. That same year, the update of Lindsey’s Choice was filmed in her sister’s home.
OUR POSTERS!
We have had 3 different versions of the Project ALERT posters.
The current version of the posters came out in 2000.
Gary Baseman, the artist who illustrated poster #1 and #10, is the illustrator of the popular board game Cranium.
We asked, you answered! Ways To Say No (Poster 9) was voted your favorite in our recent survey! Second runner up was Smoking Makes You Less Attractive (Poster 1). Marijuana Can Affect You Right Away (Poster 4) and Pressures From Inside Yourself (Poster 10) tied for third place!
OUR TOOLS!
The ALERT Educator was introduced in 1995.
The Online Training was introduced in 2002.
The Resource Manual was introduced in 2005.
The Resource Videos were introduced in 2011.
The Project ALERT website has been completely revamped 6 different times.
The number of Facebook likes? Click here to Like us and find out!
OUR OFFICES!
Project ALERT has been located in 4 different office spaces.
Damage from the 1994 Northridge Earthquake was the reason for the first move.
The current Project ALERT office is 3 blocks from Staples Center, home of the LA Lakers. We have watched 5 Championship parades from our office!
Our materials have been warehoused and shipped from 6 different locations up until our recent move to 100% digital!
ABOUT US!
The BEST Foundation, the non-profit disseminating Project ALERT, was founded in 1990.
In 1994, Nancy Reagan joined the Board of The BEST Foundation. She is still a Director Emeritus.
We have had 38 different certified Project ALERT Trainers.
Program Manager Leslie Thompson Aguilar has been with Project ALERT 14 years and over the years has worked with teachers from California to Florida.
Program Manager Christy Inberg has been with Project ALERT 12 years and over the years has worked with teachers from Washington to Maine.
BEST stands for Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together.
ALERT stands for Adolescent Learning Experiences in Resistance Training.
Project ALERT received Straight A’s from Making the Grade, the first guide to School Drug Prevention Programs in 1996.
Project ALERT was designated an Exemplary Program by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention in 1999.
Project ALERT was designated an Exemplary Program by United States Department of Education in 2001.
Project ALERT was placed on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices in 2007.
We hope you enjoyed looking back at some of Project ALERT's highlights! We look forward to seeing what the new year brings!