Back-to-School: A Fresh Start for SADD Advisors

Back-to-School, 2025

As summer fades and school hallways come alive again, SADD advisors step into a fresh year of opportunities—and challenges—to guide students in prevention, leadership, and making positive choices. Whether you’ve been advising for years or are stepping into the role for the first time, the start of the school year is a chance to lay a strong foundation for meaningful youth engagement.

This year brings fresh tools—like SAMHSA’s 2025 Back-to-School Toolkit, NAMI’s updated mental health resources, and The Jed Foundation’s resilience guides—to help you spark conversations, plan events, and support student well-being.

But the most powerful resource you have isn’t in a PDF or a website—it’s your students. 🙌 Let them lead. Invite them to select campaigns, adapt materials, and design activities that resonate with their peers. Youth-led, adult-guided is where SADD shines.

Guard against burnout (yours and theirs) by celebrating 🎉 small wins, checking in on well-being, and pacing new initiatives so momentum builds over time. Your role isn’t just about running programs—it’s about believing in young people, guiding them with patience, and giving them space to lead change.

💬 How is your chapter kicking off the school year? Share your ideas so other advisors can be inspired.

#BackToSchool #YouthLeadership #YouthEmpowerment