In 1997, Jane and Dennis Buchanan started the Be Proud Foundation to encourage Delaware County youth to make positive changes and increase their chances for a successful life. Be Proud’s first program served students, aged 13-17, referred by social services organizations, in a small, alternative environment. Their goal for this program is to help students enhance basic skills and behavior so that they can successfully transition back to their school district or graduate.
Since then, Be Proud has added the following programs:
1. Community-based supervision, support and services for youth to increase their chances for a successful life,
2. STEP UP which offers work experience, college and company tours, and training for 14 select Upper Darby High School seniors to develop a career plan, apply to post-secondary school and graduate from High School,
3. Mindfulness and peer-to-peer mediation training for 4th & 5th grade Upper Darby students and teachers.
Last year, students in the Upper Darby STEP UP program wanted to create something that would make a difference in the lives of their peers and those around them – not just a game or another social media platform. bEsTcOrE Entertainment staff taught the students how to build and create a unique and important mobile app, called SOS Prevention. Downloadable in the Apple or Google store, this free substance-abuse prevention app provides scientific data about substances, educates users about the Safe Harbor and Good Samaritan Acts and provides teens with a way to seek immediate help from their chosen contact if they are in an unsafe situation or are with someone who is experiencing a substance overdose. The app not only educates teens and their parents, it provides an emergency button for those who are in trouble and need help but are afraid to call the police. This button provides their emergency contact with driving and walking directions to their location.
SOS Substance Abuse Prevention can be easily downloaded here.
