About Us

Get A Grip is a student-driven and staff supported alcohol education and traffic safety leadership program for teens and young adults attending Iowa high schools and colleges. The program began in 1991 and during 2011 we celebrate 20 years of working with Iowa youth and adults.

Mission

We are dedicated to leadership development and creative prevention strategies and will provide the tools and resources needed to reduce the number of teen and young adult alcohol-related traffic incidents, distracted and drowsy driving crashes, and pedestrian/bicycle injuries in Iowa, and will contribute time and energy to the creation of healthy and safe communities.

Values

Our focus is on the people and communities we serve and our programs are built on the principles of community, respect, choices, and accountability.

Vision

To engage Iowa students in discussion of issues relevant to them, their peers, and their community and work to initiate and achieve ongoing communication, proactive safety planning, and alcohol education programming that will contribute to a quality high school and college experience.

High School

1991: The Get A Grip high school program began with teams of Iowa students and adult advisers from across the state participating in a summer leadership and traffic safety conference at Iowa State University.

1999: Get A Grip went on the road with one-day regional leadership workshops during the academic year to reach students in their home regions.

2006: Local half-day training workshops were offered to Iowa school districts to save on travel costs and time spent away from the classroom.

Participants
1991-2007: 27 summer conferences were held with 1,990 students and 441 adults attending the training sessions.

1999-2007: 47 workshops were held in 42 Iowa locations involving 118 school districts, 3,339 students, and 327 adults.

2008: half and full-day local workshops were held reaching 1,609 students from seven school districts and 65
10th-11th grade students from across the state participating in the Iowa State University Early Outreach Program.

2009: half and full-day local workshops were again held reaching 1,993 high school students and 126 middle school students from 13 school districts.

2010: training workshops, media message promotion, and middle school presentations reached 1,209 high school students and 325 middle school students from 10 school districts.

College

College workshops began in 1991 and projects in 1995 with alcohol education and traffic safety mini-grants that grew into a statewide social norms project. Media campaigns were developed and implemented on Iowa campuses, and workshops and training materials were provided in following years to enhance social norms efforts. Get A Grip University continues to support Iowa colleges and universities by offering social marketing messages and media developed by Iowa college students.

Get A Grip projects provide opportunities for students to
get informed, get involved, and determine a plan of action. Get A Grip staff work with Iowa students to develop training topics, leadership activities, and action plans.

 

For additional information about the Get A Grip Program and projects, please contact Laurinda Smith at 515.294.8760, or by email at getagrip@iastate.edu.

Get A Grip Undergrads

The Get A Grip Experience: by Jess
(6-year participant / staff member)

MUSIC IS OUR DRUG. Turn the music up, inhibitions are gone, you can talk to anyone, dance like crazy; there are no worries about being judged. Everyone is jumping, moving, yelling, smiling - a moment of insanity. The aftermath: perception of you is changed. You are comfortable in your own skin. I WANT THAT, TOO.

You are Get A Grip. You have something special. The ability to let go, be free, be happy, love your life and those around you, without substances. Music is our drug. The RESPECT dance is our theme. AM Boogie starts our days, music transitions through the hours. When the music stops we are euphoric, exhausted, and ready for more.

You have the opportunity to share this secret with others. They may choose it, they may not, but you can offer what you have and let it embrace the people around you.

You are a leader. You set the tone for your life and those who follow you. You have an amazing power as a leader that cannot be turned off. You cannot force people to lead, but you can encourage people to find good leaders to follow. Followers that stand for nothing, will fall for anything. Be yourself to the highest degree and people will follow in your example.