Mendez Foundation

10/21/2026

Big feelings are a part of life. Learning how to manage them takes practice!

Thank you Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center Prevention Program for helping students build skills for managing emotions, and to the school for making time for these valuable conversations.

Another fun day at Vernon Intermediate School sharing the Too Good for Drugs curriculum. Students talked about managing emotions and role played Otis and the Jelly Jam. They learned Otis, a mad Cowboy, 🤠 could have managed his emotions and gotten a sandwich rather than leaving Miss Anna’s shop empty-handed 🥲 after he pitched a fit.

Thank you to all the student volunteers who participated in the play today! You all did a wonderful job!!! 🐾🖤💛🤍🐾

10/20/2026

Great work Officer Joe! We are proud of the impact you are making in Sarasota County Schools! The students there are fortunate to have you!

10/20/2026

👉Digital Citizenship Week

Digital citizenship is often discussed in terms of what students do online. But the skills behind responsible digital choices are developed offline, too.

Before students post, share, respond, or join a conversation online, they draw on decision-making, communication, managing emotions, resisting peer pressure, considering consequences, and treating others with respect.

These skills are reinforced across the Too Good programs. They help students slow down, think through a choice, recognize how their actions may affect others, and respond more responsibly in digital and face-to-face situations.

During Digital Citizenship Week, we are highlighting the offline thinking and social skills that help young people navigate an increasingly connected world.

Explore the Too Good programs at toogoodprograms.org.

10/19/2026

Strong prevention starts with prepared educators! Thank you Western New York Prevention Resource Center for coming together to build your knowledge and confidence in delivering Too Good!

10/15/2026

Students who witness bullying or harmful behavior often have to make a quick decision: stay silent, join in, walk away, or seek help.

Becoming an upstander does not always mean confronting someone directly. It can mean refusing to participate, supporting the person being targeted, interrupting the situation when it is safe, or telling a trusted adult.

A Peaceable Place helps students recognize harmful behavior, consider safe responses, and practice how to ask for help.
Students are more prepared to act when they know what responsible action can look like.

10/13/2026

Students are often told to speak up when bullying happens, but asking for help is a skill that may need to be taught and practiced.

Young people need to know which adults they can trust, how to describe what happened, what to do if the first person cannot help, and when a situation requires immediate support.

A Peaceable Place gives students opportunities to practice communication and help-seeking before they face a difficult situation.

When adults respond calmly, take concerns seriously, and explain what will happen next, they reinforce that seeking help is a responsible choice.

10/12/2026

A great example of schools and community partners working together! Thank you to GLW Children’s Council for bringing Too Good for Drugs to grades 2-6 at Burwell Elementary at Burwell Public Schools. Together, you’re helping students build confidence, make healthy choices, and navigate peer pressure.

🎖💜Burwell Elementary Students Learn Skills Through Too Good for Drugs Program

Mrs. McKenna Gurney from the GLW Children’s Council has begun visiting Burwell Elementary students in grades 2–6 to teach lessons through the Too Good for Drugs program. The program will run for approximately 10–15 weeks, giving students the opportunity to develop important life skills and practice making positive choices.

Students are beginning to learn the six steps of goal setting and are putting these skills into practice by developing individual and classroom goals. Through these lessons, students are learning the importance of setting goals, making positive choices, and working toward success.

Mrs. Gurney visits during Miss Tetschner’s guidance time, where she and Miss T co-teach many of the lessons. By working together, they provide students with engaging learning experiences and opportunities to practice and apply new skills in their everyday lives.

Most weeks, students will bring home homework related to the lessons. Parents and guardians are encouraged to take time to discuss these assignments with their children. These conversations are a great way to reinforce the skills students are learning at school and encourage them to continue working toward their goals at home.

10/09/2026

Building Strong Minds, Healthy Choices, and Brighter Futures! Great job St. Marys High School!

10/08/2026

Prevention in Action! Thank you to the Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center Prevention Program for bringing Too Good to Vernon Intermediate School.

What a day looks like in Prevention. This is us sharing the Too Good for Drugs curriculum at Vernon Intermediate School.

10/08/2026

Conflict is a normal part of growing up. Bullying is not.

Students are better prepared to respond when they can recognize rising tension, pause before reacting, communicate clearly, consider another point of view, and seek adult help when a situation feels unsafe.

A Peaceable Place helps educators teach these skills before conflict escalates. With practice, students gain constructive ways to handle disagreements and contribute to a safer school climate.

Prevention begins when expectations are turned into skills students can use.

Which conflict-resolution skill do your students practice most often?