Causes: Children & Youth, Leadership Development, Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Youth Development - Citizenship

Mission: To empower young people to successfully confront the risks and pressures that challenge them in their daily lives.

Programs: Peer-to-peer health & safety programs:formerly known as students against driving drunk, sadd has been the nation's premier youth health and safety organization since 1981 working to empower teens to stand strong against destructive decisions and to shape the world around them for the better. This is accomplished by equipping the network with science-based, peer-to-peer prevention programs and awareness campaigns and providing students with dynamic leadership development opportunities at the local, state and national level. This is the heart and soul of sadd. All sadd chapters have access to seasonal peer-to-peer educational, awareness and community engagement campaigns to help them address the most prevalent issues facing our teens today. These campaigns involve the entire community: schools, parents, law enforcement, local government, and other community partners who are interested in saving lives and ensuring our students are equipped to stand strong against making destructive decisions.

sadd national conference:each year, hundreds of sadd chapter students, advisors, state coordinators and professionals from the teen health and safety community come to the national conference to celebrate the power of positive peer-pressure and receive intensive training in three specialized prevention subject tracks: traffic safety, substance abuse, and personal health and safety. The conference offers 30+ youth-and-adult-led workshops that prepare our next generation of leaders to shape the future and make the world a better place. Workshop topics include: peer-to-peer prevention strategies, education on emerging teen issues, action planning & goal setting, public speaking, media training, advocacy, fundraising and peer leadership.

speaks:sadd speaks (students for policy, education, advocacy & knowledge): sadd's premier advocacy institute trains groups of teen leaders in advocacy and the public policy process around sadd issues, media, public speaking, and leadership. The capstone event includes a congressional briefing and visits with legislators in washington, d. C. Speaks delegates will continue their work in the fall with national webinars, speaking opportunities, and advocacy efforts on the state and local level.

sadd national student leadership council (slc): the slc plays a major role in the nationwide success of sadd. Members work directly with the sadd national staff on projects while maintaining active leadership roles with their own local chapters. Often called upon to represent the national organization, slc members travel to conferences, media events, and task force meetings and are a valuable resource to our partners as focus groups and ambassadors. Student of the year (soy): chosen from a national pool of outstanding candidates, the sadd national student of the year leads the student leadership council, represents sadd on a national basis speaking at conferences, conducting national media interviews and holding a voting position on the board of directors. Student advisory board (sab): state advisory boards: select students hold state-level leadership positions and assist state coordinators with annual planning, program evaluation, and coordinating state-level mass communications and promotion of sadd news and information. Sadd chapters: each chapter is governed by student officers who agree to uphold the integrity of the sadd mission and who make a commitment to implement the programs in their schools and communities. State coordinators: sadd state coordinators are professionals in the field who are responsible for chapter management and development, technical support and building relationships within their state with corporate, government and nonprofit partners on behalf of sadd. Sadd national hosts bi-annual trainings, utilizes social and electronic media to send news and information, research results, and national level media campaign information and talking points. National sponsor and partner relationships are leveraged at the state level to provide additional funding, program development, and opportunities for professional networking and collaboration. Sadd state coordinators are professionals in each state who align with the vision, mission, and values of the organization and who commit to developing, strengthening, and supporting the sadd network in their state. Currently, sadd state coordinators connect to the national office and operate in several ways. A state coordinator may be an employee of a state agency or nonprofit organization that is dedicated to youth health and safety education, prevention, intervention and teen empowerment, a direct employee of sadd, or a dedicated, experienced professional who volunteers to assist in helping develop chapters and provide technical support to adult chapter advisors and students as needed. There are sadd chapters in all 50 states and currently, there are 31 states with coordinators. In states without an official state coordinator, sadd national manages the state activity directly. Chapter advisor training & support: all chapters have adult advisors and other caring, involved adults who help guide chapter activities. Using a combination of print, social media and electronic media, chapter advisors have a direct connection with the national office to share ideas, engage in two-way conversation, and receive news and information relevant to sadd chapter operations. Teen behavioral research: in partnership with liberty mutual, sadd conducts teen driver surveys and publishes findings and other materials for parents and teens. National policy positions: sadd national establishes positions on issues affecting teens and provides insight and guidance for the state level policy actions.