On The Move!

“On The Move!” is a drug education and prevention initiative. This five-component program is provided FREE to schools – through a partnership with the Kentucky Army National Guard – targeting students in 7th and 10th grades.

Using pre-test and post-test evaluations – compiled by Southeastern Program Evaluation, inc., which is affiliated with the University of Kentucky’s Prevention Research Center – “On The Move!” provides schools with real-time data collection on program instruction that is aligned with the Kentucky Core Content areas of Practical Living and Health.

The “On The Move!” program, as a whole, is designed to educate children about the dangers of making poor choices from using alcohol or other drugs. It provides them hands-on experiences for visual impairment, the brain’s reaction when impaired, and the physical reaction of the body to impairment. The combination of these elements makes the “On The Move!” initiative unique.

Schedule OTM

Contact Mark Davis at mdavis@OperationUNITE.org or 606-234-5551.

Since being launched in the fall of 2013, there have been 51,602 students from schools in 43 counties in four states (KY, TN, VA & WV) complete the program through June 30, 2023.

“This particular program may be one of the best I have ever seen as far as getting students involved, thinking, and providing important educational information in a format and manner that the students responded to positively. The program combines both the educational component while also gathering data from the student population that can be put to immediate use within the school and community.”

Russell Halsey
Former Principal, Johnson Central High School

Interactive Mobile Classroom

The centerpiece of this initiative is a one-of-a-kind, handicapped-accessible mobile classroom where students are educated about drugs and their effects in a relaxed, small group setting.

Students are given a written survey prior to the program arriving on campus. These students are then surveyed throughout a 40-minute PowerPoint presentation via a Qwizdom® audience response system that provides immediate feedback and yields measurable data about their perceptions before and after the presentation. This data is shared with host schools, enabling them to determine specific needs within their student populations.

“The immediate feedback following the interactive activity and simulation was extremely beneficial in ‘bringing home the point’ about the dangers of substance abuse and driving under the influence. … The trailer’s environment was perfectly suited to the teen mind and was a comfortable, well-designed atmosphere.”

Jennifer Mattingly
Former Principal, Rockcastle County High School

Simulated Impaired Driving Experience (SIDNE)

During this exercise, students utilize a battery-powered go-kart, controlled by a UNITE staff member, to simulate the effects of distraction and impairment from alcohol or other drugs on a motorist’s driving skills.

After receiving a safety briefing, students attempt to navigate a short obstacle course – and quickly experience unanticipated consequences. At the conclusion, students receive a debriefing to explain how their actions, although they may be correct, can be delayed by an impairment.

“S.I.D.N.E. was a big hit and gave the students practical experience without the side effects of intoxicants. The tricycles and fatal vision goggles coupled with the presence of a real live policeman reinforced the experience. The program has certainly heightened the awareness of our students to dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.”

John Hale
Former Principal, Somerset Christian School

Fatal Vision Marijuana Simulation Experience

Recreational marijuana use has been shown to impair cognitive functions on a number of levels – from basic motor coordination to more complex executive function tasks, such as the ability to plan, organize, solve problems, make decisions, remember, and control emotions and behavior. In this evidence-based experience, special goggles are used to demonstrate a student’s susceptibility to this impairment and the potential consequences (severity) that may occur.

Fatal Vision Tri-cycle Course

Students wear special goggles that demonstrate various degrees of impairment while attempting to navigate a tri-cycle through a defined course. Although similar to the SIDNE go-kart experience, this activity is designed to simulate visual impairment.

The Choice Is Yours

Students participate in a face-to-face small group discussion about making the right decisions, and how the positive benefits from making good choices outweigh the consequences of bad choices.

“It made me think how important it is to try and influence my peers to make the right choice so no one has to experience the tragic consequences of substance abuse. I think this program should be offered to every high school in the state.”

Mackenzie Smith
Former student, Southwestern (Pulaski) High School