Stanley, ND – On Wednesday, April 11th, the Mountrail County Health Foundation, the Stanley Park District and the Stanley High School partnered together to bring to all SHS students from
7th to 12th Grade “Skittle Skool”.
The mission statement behind Skittle Skool was: “Giving our youth the knowledge to create a
voice for change towards their future paths. Knowledge is Power.”
The idea for Skittle Skool started when last December a group of local community services, ranging from the Stanley Police Department to the Mountrail County Social Services, got together to address the Opioid crisis.
The name Skittle Skool came to play when conversation about Opioids lead into how kids are having Skittle parties. They go into their parent’s medicine cabinet, take any pills they can find and bring them to the party. They then put all the pills into a bowl and everyone starts randomly picking one out and taking it.
April 11th was chosen as the date, for it is the Wednesday before Stanley’s Prom. The guidance counselor thought this would be the perfect time to talk to all the Jr. High and Sr. High Students about this array of topics.
Twenty plus presenters addressed the following topics of hidden dangers coming at our local children through creative and interactive activities and conversation.
- Stacy Schaffer from 31:8 Project covering “Sexting – Importance of cell phone use responsibility”
✓ Kris Halvorson from the Stanley Police Department and Hillary Burchett from the Stanley Ambulance Service covering “How and When to call 9-11 for an overdose and the danger of Nar Can usage”
✓ Virginia Dohms from North Central Human Service covering “Healthy Dating Relationships”
✓ Michelle Svangstu from Upper Missouri District Health Unit covering “Long term effects of smoking and chewing and how vapping is not a safe alternative”
✓ Abbey Ruland and Tammie Braaflat from the Mountrail County Medical Center covering “Safe Sex, STD’s, HPV and the importance of the HPV vaccine”
✓ Tara Nardacci and Dr. Longmuir from the Mountrail County Medical Center and Gerald White and his team from the Three Affiliated Tribes Drug Task Force covering “Prescription drug abuse and what it can lead to”
✓ Shelly Kinney from Mountrail County Social Services covering “Drug exposure and its effects”
✓ Terry Goldade from Northland Community Health Center covering “The effects of “screens and screen time” on Mental Health”
✓ Brenna Thompson from Pospishil and Associates covering “Suicide, Cutting and Self Harm”
✓ Bob Hayes from Bob Hayes Addiction Services covering “Alcohol Abuse and Addiction”
✓ Stephanie Nishek from Dakota Natural Health Center covering “Importance of a healthy diet for your developing brain”
✓ Pastor Carter Hill from Prairie Lutheran Parish covering “Being cruel is easy: Bullying Online and Off”Stacy Schaffer from 31:8 Project covering “Sexting – Importance of cell phone use responsibility”
✓ Kris Halvorson from the Stanley Police Department and Hillary Burchett from the Stanley Ambulance Service covering “How and When to call 9-11 for an overdose and the danger of Nar Can usage”
✓ Virginia Dohms from North Central Human Service covering “Healthy Dating Relationships”
✓ Michelle Svangstu from Upper Missouri District Health Unit covering “Long term effects of smoking and chewing and how vapping is not a safe alternative”
✓ Abbey Ruland and Tammie Braaflat from the Mountrail County Medical Center covering “Safe Sex, STD’s, HPV and the importance of the HPV vaccine”
✓ Tara Nardacci and Dr. Longmuir from the Mountrail County Medical Center and Gerald White and his team from the Three Affiliated Tribes Drug Task Force covering “Prescription drug abuse and what it can lead to”
✓ Shelly Kinney from Mountrail County Social Services covering “Drug exposure and its effects”
✓ Terry Goldade from Northland Community Health Center covering “The effects of “screens and screen time” on Mental Health”
✓ Brenna Thompson from Pospishil and Associates covering “Suicide, Cutting and Self Harm”
✓ Bob Hayes from Bob Hayes Addiction Services covering “Alcohol Abuse and Addiction”
✓ Stephanie Nishek from Dakota Natural Health Center covering “Importance of a healthy diet for your developing brain”
✓ Pastor Carter Hill from Prairie Lutheran Parish covering “Being cruel is easy: Bullying Online and Off”Stacy Schaffer from 31:8 Project covering “Sexting – Importance of cell phone use responsibility”
✓ Kris Halvorson from the Stanley Police Department and Hillary Burchett from the Stanley Ambulance Service covering “How and When to call 9-11 for an overdose and the danger of Nar Can usage”
✓ Virginia Dohms from North Central Human Service covering “Healthy Dating Relationships”
✓ Michelle Svangstu from Upper Missouri District Health Unit covering “Long term effects of smoking and chewing and how vapping is not a safe alternative”
✓ Abbey Ruland and Tammie Braaflat from the Mountrail County Medical Center covering “Safe Sex, STD’s, HPV and the importance of the HPV vaccine”
✓ Tara Nardacci and Dr. Longmuir from the Mountrail County Medical Center and Gerald White and his team from the Three Affiliated Tribes Drug Task Force covering “Prescription drug abuse and what it can lead to”
✓ Shelly Kinney from Mountrail County Social Services covering “Drug exposure and its effects”
✓ Terry Goldade from Northland Community Health Center covering “The effects of “screens and screen time” on Mental Health”
✓ Brenna Thompson from Pospishil and Associates covering “Suicide, Cutting and Self Harm”
✓ Bob Hayes from Bob Hayes Addiction Services covering “Alcohol Abuse and Addiction”
✓ Stephanie Nishek from Dakota Natural Health Center covering “Importance of a healthy diet for your developing brain”
✓ Pastor Carter Hill from Prairie Lutheran Parish covering “Being cruel is easy: Bullying Online and Off”
During the last twenty minutes of school, the students were asked to address this question by writing down ideas: “What are YOU going to do with all of the knowledge you learned today? Let’s take this knowledge and create a powerful movement”.
“Skittle Skool is just the start of what we want to do here in Mountrail County for our youth and our communities overall,” says Stephanie Everett, Mountrail County Health Foundation’s Director. “We look forward in working with all the presenters and planning future events to see what sort of movement we can start locally.”
