This program is for youth who are in kindergarten through 9th grade.

Brain Power!, a school-based program, is designed to prevent or reduce substance use by using science to teach students about the brain, the nervous system, and the negative effects of drugs on the brain and the body.

No peer-reviewed publications evaluating the effectiveness of this program were located.

Brain Power! consists of separate grade-level curricula in which students learn about the brain, the nervous system, and how drugs negatively impact the brain and the body. Each grade-level curriculum focuses on the following:

• Grades K-1 (five modules): Learn about scientists, explore the brain, understand how to protect the brain and keep it healthy, and discover the differences between helpful medicines and harmful drugs;
• Grades 2-3 (six modules): Understand the process of scientific inquiry, learn about parts of the brain and what these parts do, and identify helpful and harmful drugs and how they affect the brain and body;
• Grades 4-5 (six modules): Explore how drugs impact society, learn about parts of the brain and how they function, understand the process of neurotransmission, discuss stimulants and other drugs and how they affect the nervous system, and study addiction and how it affects the brain; and
• Grades 6-9 (six modules): Learn about the brain and nervous system and explore effects of a variety of legal and illegal substances on the brain and body, including nicotine; alcohol; prescription drugs; inhalants; marijuana; heroin; cocaine; and drugs commonly portrayed in the media, such as steroids, methamphetamine, and ketamine.

Each curriculum contains a variety of items, including resources for students, parent newsletters, posters, DVDs, and online activities. In addition, students are encouraged to use the internet for finding additional resources and information.

The extent to which this program has been implemented is unclear.

This program is facilitated by classroom teachers, and training is not required for implementation. Each grade-level kit includes a teacher’s guide that includes a lesson plan, instructions, and materials needed to teach each module.

Considerations for implementing this program include acquiring teacher and student buy-in, obtaining parental consent, and making time in an existing curriculum for program modules.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing Brain Power! the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you! Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

Each grade level course includes five to six modules, and implementation time may vary depending on the activities covered in each module.

Information on implementation costs was not located. Please visit the first two websites in Source for program modules.

To move Brain Power! to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least one year from the beginning of the program or at least six months from program completion.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program. Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact the National Institute on Drug Abuse by visiting https://nida.nih.gov/about-nida/contact-us

https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/1693-brain-power-grades-k-1.pdf, https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/1878-brain-power-grades-4-5.pdf, https://d2rw76b9nsxu2w.cloudfront.net/nodes/1171/A_Toolkit_To_Start_Substance_Use_Prevention_In_Elementary_Schools.pdf, and https://www.drugabuse.gov/brain-power (This website no longer contains program information)