Red Ribbon Week is celebrated the last two weeks of October, annually. This week is celebrated for drug, alcohol & tobacco prevention awareness. This day is in honor or DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena who lost his life fighting the war on drugs in Mexico. Camarena was committed to keeping drugs out of the United States and committed to keeping children safe.

How to plan a successful Red Ribbon Week:

1.) Create a Dress-up Calendar: Students LOVE to dress-up. With careful planning, you can ensure your students have fun, and your teachers and other staff do not go crazy from the distractions. Be sure to plan days that are easy for families and do not require the purchase of special clothing.

2.) Educate your families: Be sure to send some information to explain why Red Ribbon Week is celebrated. Some families may be concerned that their child is learning specifically about drugs, their effects and how they are used rather than learning about healthy choices and prevention. (Especially for younger grades – some families become concerned when they hear about drugs). In my TPT Store “Red Ribbon Week Flyer”, I have included an information sheet that explains the history to families. I have also included many varieties that do not mention “drugs” and instead focus on “healthy choices”.

3.) Find small activities that can be done throughout the week: I kept things simple this year like signing pledges one day. Another day we worked on a coloring page from the redribbon.org website. I also gave students these red ribbon stickers once they signed their pledge. They were very reasonably priced on AMAZON!

I also created some fun bookmarks that students can color themselves, or there are full-color versions that can also be printed out.



4.) Communicate and Have FUN: Be sure to explain the week to all your teachers and stakeholders. Making sure everyone is informed is very helpful. This way teachers do not feel like this is one extra thing piled on their to-do list, and instead feel like they are a part of the event. That’s exactly what we want in our school community – Everyone is a part! 🙂

Red Ribbon week is an important week during the school year!
Please check out my Teachers Pay Teachers Store: Counseling Kee for more ideas on Red Ribbon Week or other School Spirit opportunities.

Or click the link here to see my Red Ribbon Week Editable Flyer