Information and References for
PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Dear Public School Principal: I am an anti-drug and motivational speaker for public schools nationwide. For over five years, I lived an odyssey of adventure as a chief diver for The Cousteau Society. For the presentations, I use high-tech video projection. I share exciting true stories about diving with whales, dolphins, and great white sharks while weaving in my drug, tobacco & alcohol education message. My goal is to motivate youths to reach for their dreams and not make choices that can lead to real-life nightmares. I speak from the perspective of someone who unfortunately made a marijuana mistake that directly led to my becoming a co-defendant in the John DeLorean drug trial of 1982. In a prison cell, I fully realized that the mistakes were completely my own. Wanting to recapture happiness and self worth, I made a commitment to pursue only good choices. Two years after leaving prison, I was hired by The Cousteau Society as a chief diver and expedition leader…and I don't even speak French.
Steve's program fascinates both youth and teachers alike. He has spoken in 49 states to over 1,400 elementary, middle, and high schools. Each of these schools is a positive reference for the effectiveness of his work. The DARE program has sponsored him into 32 states. NBC did a prime time news special on my public school program, and it has been featured in numerous magazines, hundreds of newspapers and has led to over 800 radio interviews. Steve is the author of five books all of which are currently in print. Journey Into Darkness his autobiography is going into its seventh printing.
Because of state budget reductions for schools, Steve has reduced his fees 20% or more one presentation is now $450, two programs cost $650 or a day rate of $850 (was $1150) fee plus travel expenses. He brings over $14,000 worth of audio/visual equipment). Each program carries a full money back guarantee (no school has ever requested a refund). Because he addresses tobacco issues grant money can be utilized for his programs. He also discusses serious youth choices including drugs, crime, gangs, and suicide (depending upon age group). He always discusses with the school staff how he can best serve their student body. The presentations have been enthusiastically received for over fifteen years.
One of the very best references that he can offer about the effectiveness of his programs is from the coordinators of the Lifelong Learning Conference held at the University of Montana on April 9, 2001. Several hundred public school teachers and principals attending the conference were asked to evaluate the speakers. Below are listed the individual comments on his program as sent by the Department of Labor. Overall 91% of the teachers rated his program as exceeding their expectations in content and presentation. For more details contact Ms. Annette Miller, Montana Director for Career Networking or Ms. Candy Cardwell at 800 354-8830. (Note: in 2002 Steve was the keynote speaker at Montana's Middle School Principals Convention).
A very good approach to drug issues
Drugs Bite is a major theme of my work. Currently, drugs and alcohol are the top killers of teenagers in America, followed by homicide and suicide. The most feared creature in the United States is the great white shark… yet the chances of a person being attacked by a shark are only one in fourteen million. Drugs and alcohol kill and maim youths by the tens of thousands every year. As an experienced public school speaker, I am completely aware of and respect all rules, restrictions, and etiquette for addressing public school students. I am also very careful to ensure that my anti-drug/crime message is presented in a way that reflects the horrible nature of these lifestyles. Unfortunately, there are some public school speakers who accidentally glorify negative experiences. I do not!
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