The Deadly Choices Education Program is a health education and capacity development program aimed at supporting students to be positive role models and mentors for their family, peer group, and community by leading a healthy lifestyle.
The program is delivered in a flexible manner to suit school environments and timetables, and addresses healthy lifestyle topics such as;
- Leadership
- Chronic disease
- Tobacco cessation
- Nutrition
- Physical activity
- Harmful substances
- Healthy relationships
- Access and health checks
The program also involves a 715 health check and developing links with local Aboriginal Medical Services or health centres.
Students are incentivised to complete the Deadly Choices Education Program, with Deadly Choices merchandise. The criteria for receiving incentives include: full attendance at the program, good behaviour, and school attendance.
Incentives include a Deadly Choices shirt, opportunities to win prize packs, and opportunities to participate in end of school year camps.
An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural framework lays the foundation for Deadly Choices which is essential for building relationships with participants. The Deadly Choices Education Program encourages participants to embrace their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity and further develop their understanding of their culture. The cultural framework draws on the importance of identifying, building and being leaders in the Deadly Choices Education Program.
Deadly Choices encourages two-way and peer-to-peer collaboration as a successful way of learning how to make Deadly Choices every day. Leadership is used as a tool to direct good health and education practices, and throughout the program we continuously reflect on leadership as a cornerstone of healthy lifestyle behaviours and encourage our friends, family and community to do the same.