The Norm Project is a district wide initiative, sponsored by United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Okeechobee Counties, that challenges the misperceptions about Lee County students by presenting them with the facts. The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey polls a sample of our student population each year and has found that the majority of Lee County students do not use alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs. This shows that our students are making good decisions and are choosing a healthy lifestyle!
What Is Social Norming?
"Most students do not drink alcohol." "The majority of students do not use drugs."
These two statements are the primary messages of The Norm Project. Many students think the majority of their peers use alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs, but that is not true. The social norms approach addresses how individuals tend to incorrectly believe that the attitudes or behaviors of others are different from their own, when in reality they are similar. Students are more inclined to use alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs when they believe that their peers are using.
Every year, results from the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey consistently show that the majority of Lee County students choose not to use alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs. The Norm Project uses student-designed posters to communicate this and to promote healthy behaviors that accurately reflect what is really going on with our teens, or the “norm”.