UNITE Clubs

UNITE Club Scholarships Available

Operation UNITE has created an “I Am UNITE” Scholarship that will provide up to 20 senior high school students $1,500 to be used for post-secondary education expenses. This Scholarship is available to UNITE Club members, as well as students who have attended Camp UNITE (either as a counselor or camper), and who reside in UNITE’s service region. Deadline is April 1, 2013
For details download the “I Am UNITE” scholarship application packet.

UNITE Clubs help youth develop healthy attitudes and behaviors by learning and practicing life skills, enhancing academic performance, connecting peers, adults, communities and learning through service.

Youth are involved in developing and conducting activities designed to help make their schools and communities healthy and drug-free as well as mentoring younger students.

Click here for 2012-13 UNITE Club forms.

Poster Contest

October is not only Red Ribbon Week, it is also Arts and Humanities Month in Kentucky. UNITE Clubs were invited to celebrate by making anti-drug related posters. Winning clubs at each of the three levels (elementary, middle and high) will receive a Halloween Party sponsored by UNITE. Entries will also be displayed during the “Fire In The Mountains” day of prayer rallies on Sunday, November 18, at the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville, Old Corbin Civic Center in Corbin or Somerset Christian School in Somerset.

School year	Clubs	Counties	Students
2012-13 Click here to view list of schools as of 5-7-13.	118	26	9,572
2011-12 Click here to view list of schools	95	23	6,841
2010-11 Click here to view list of schools	113	28	6,762
2009-10	121	31	6,414
2008-09	79	25	3,676
2007-08	121	29	6,891
2006-07	98	28	5,346+
2005-06	34	18	2,137+

UNITE Club Choir

UNITE Club/Choir students at the Page School Center in Pineville perform in February 2013. Club Sponsor is UNITE Service Corps member Aleisha Lewis.

2011-12 UNITE Clubs of the Year

Congratulations to the following UNITE Clubs for being chosen “UNITE Club of the Year” for the 2011-12 school year. Each of these clubs submitted a scrapbook showing the activities, service projects and mentoring activities completed during the year. Each of these winning clubs received $750 in additional funding for the 2012-13 school year and were treated to a pizza party.

Region 1	Region 2	Region 3
Mt. Vernon Elementary	Hayes-Lewis Elementary	Rogers Elementary
Rockcastle County Middle	Pineville Middle (tie)	Johns Creek Middle
Rockcastle County High	Whitesburg Middle (tie)	Belfry High

Operation UNITE recommends that clubs be broken down by grades – elementary, middle and high – because children are often more comfortable around others of the same age. Club members agree to educate themselves and their peers in the importance of remaining drug free, and to help raise awareness about the dangers of illegal substance abuse and all the issues that surround drug abuse.

Registered UNITE Clubs can be reimbursed up to $750 per school year for allowable resources to assist with projects and activities. Each club must participate in:

At least one club activity of their choice
At least one mentoring activity
At least one community service project.

UNITE Clubs operate like any other club or organization. They must be authorized through the principal and have a certified staff member assigned as a sponsor. Clubs should meet at least monthly during pre-approved school times or in an after-school setting if transportation is provided.

No student should be denied membership because of past drug use or reputation. In fact, discussions of past drug use is strongly discouraged; the most important consideration is that all members be committed to being drug-free.

While the challenges of youth development are both immense and complex, school systems have an ability to instill deep, lasting changes in people’s lives. Research shows that teens are starting to experiment with drugs at earlier ages. Every young person is at risk.

The use of illicit drugs has serious costs for young people. It not only affects judgment and can lead to involvement in other risky actions, but it can also impair a young person’s ability to reach his or her goals by slowing academic progress, impairing athletic performance and affecting the ability to function in the workplace.