Building Assets–Reducing Risks (BARR) is a multifaceted school-based prevention program designed to decrease the incidence of substance abuse (tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs), academic failure, truancy, and disciplinary incidents among 9th-grade youth. BARR encourages students to make healthy behavior choices and achieve academic success using a set of strategies that includes delivery of a manual-based class on social competency known as the “I-Time” curriculum. This curriculum consists of 33 sequential, 30-minute group activities delivered weekly throughout the school year by teachers and/or school staff. The curriculum includes 10 general content areas–building a connected community, goals, leadership, communication, assets, grief and loss, bullying, diversity, risky behavior, and dreams–with the following objectives:
– Building social competency by strengthening positive interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers/school staff
– Increasing student engagement in the high school academic experience
– Preventing substance abuse by reinforcing a “no use” message (i.e., any use of drugs is illegal, against school policy, and unhealthy for minors)