Natural Highs

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Natural Highs:

Healthy Alternatives
to Drugs and Alcohol​

 

 

 

 

Tara Spies (NVHS '18) and Alex Risinger (NVHS '19)

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"Natural Highs" is a holistic, interactive program for teens created by local substance abuse specialist, Avani Dilger, LPC, CACIII, MINT. This  interactive, strengths-based educational program integrates traditional and alternative approaches to substance abuse prevention and intervention.  The curriculum provides cutting edge information on brain chemistry and development, hands-on opportunities to learn healthy coping strategies for stress management, creative and safe ways of accessing altered states of consciousness, and discussions about issues underlying substance abuse.  The program is being offered in several local high schools in Boulder and at Naropa University.

"Natural Highs" has been offered as a workshop at New Vista since 2006.   The program has been so well received by our students that we have expanded it to include the "Natural Highs II: Advanced Applications" workshop, several drop-in lunch groups called "Philosophy Circles" and the "Natural Highs Action Group", whose mission is to create a positive and healthy peer culture in Boulder.  The Natural Highs Action Group, which is comprised  of students from New Vista and several other local high schools, has  received a City of Boulder Youth Opportunities (YOAB) Grant this year to help fund monthly alternative sober "Natural Highs" Events for Boulder teens.
 

We are always grateful for donations to keep the "Natural Highs" program running and accessible to all teens in Boulder. You can make a tax-deductible donation to the program by sending a check to New Vista High School with "Donation for Natural Highs" in the memo line.

For more information feel free to contact Avani Dilger 303-859-5778 or avani@naropa.edu

For more information about the Natural Highs Program, please visit our website or read more in this Boulder Daily Camera article, Sept. 2018.