By Namrata “Nimmi” Pandya
October 23-31, 2025, was Red Ribbon Week at Carteret High School (CHS)! Red Ribbon Week is an awareness campaign sponsored by National Family Partnership (NFP), a nonprofit founded in 1980 by concerned parents out of a desire to keep their children safe. Red Ribbon Week’s mission is to “lead and support our nation’s families and communities in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug-free youth.”
The National Family Partnership (NFP) Mission
NFP utilizes a multi-pronged approach to achieve its mission. It forms coalitions to advocate for its agenda with policymakers at every level of government, and shares a wealth of resources for prevention literature, including brochures and lesson plans designed to educate parents and children. NFP also spreads awareness through efforts like Red Ribbon Week, which is the “nation’s largest and longest-running drug-use prevention campaign.”
Pathways Leads Drug-Free Cafeteria Campaign
This Red Ribbon Week, Gideon Abadilla, the Pathways Youth Development Specialist, and a multitude of student volunteers led a cafeteria event to educate students on substance abuse and prevent usage.
The student leaders of Pathways-sponsored clubs brainstormed a themed activity based on the Red Ribbon poster: “Life is a puzzle, solve it drug-free.” By signing a puzzle-shaped pledge to remain drug-free, students were then eligible to play Plinko, which selects a prize at random, including Red Ribbon cups, water bottles, Incorruptible Us sunglasses, and Smarties candies. These puzzle pieces fit together to create a mosaic of pledges, posted in the CHS hallways to spread continued awareness.
We had a total of about 6 student volunteers between the two lunch periods. Despite the periods being shortened, 77 students signed the pledge!
CHS Student Leaders Drive Anti-Substance Abuse Efforts
Multiple student volunteers and leaders expressed their support of Red Ribbon Week and the Pathways clubs in which they participate.
Darlene: SADD and Incorruptible Us Member
Darlene is a sophomore and a member of Incorruptible Us, which stands against vape and tobacco usage, and SADD, which focuses on issues that commonly affect her peer group, including relationships, drunk driving, etc. She enjoys having purpose and educating her fellow students on issues like substance abuse, saying it makes her feel engaged. She heard about Incorruptible Us, SADD, and Pathways through her older sisters, and her freshman year orientation solidified that she wanted to volunteer in youth advocacy.
Anjali: Community Outreach and Youth Advocacy
Anjali is a senior and member of Incorruptible Us & Letters for Rose, in which students write letters to senior citizens to combat loneliness. She gains much from participating in Pathways-led clubs, such as the ability to network and do community outreach. She likes being able to educate her peers on topics like substance abuse and LGBTQIA history (recently covered by a GSA cafeteria event). As an Hours Coordinator for Letters for Rose, she calls various nursing homes to gauge their interest in receiving letters, in competition with other Middlesex high schools participating in the program. Being on the executive board of the club gives her a look inside the club’s workings, allowing her to be more involved with the social media marketing element. She was able to go to a conference in Washington, DC, where she met peers from other states who share similar passions.
Daiancy: Incorruptible Us President & Community Impact
Daiancy is a senior member of SADD and the President of Incorruptible Us. She became President, inspired by the passion of the club’s upperclassmen, as a freshman. She enjoys community outreach projects for SADD, such as Habitat for Humanity and food pantries, because they create the most direct impact. In fact, their chapter of the club earned the “Most Community Outreach” award in the county. She helps plan events like this one at officer meetings; for example, they decided to maintain the puzzle motif for this event and came up with the “Donut Bully” poster, which advocates against bullying. She aspires to major in political science at U Penn or Penn State, specifically to do policy making, a testament to her passion for community advocacy.
Thank You to Our Dedicated Student Volunteers
On behalf of Pathways, thank you to our student volunteers and club officers who planned and staffed this event, and thank you to the students who made the pledge to be drug-free!