High School PRograms
A Better High
KEYNOTE
Life Is Disappointing and Other Inspiring Thoughts
KEYNOTE
Workshops
Multi-Day Workshops
STAND-UP COMEDY NIGHT
Public Speaking/ Stand-up Comedy Workshop
Media Campaign
Weed is Not Salad
KEYNOTES
KEYNOTE: “A Better High”
Target Event
All school assemblies, Conferences
Ideal Audience Size
100 – 5,000
depending on the venue
Duration
70+ minutes
This powerful and entertaining presentation focuses on substance abuse prevention (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, THC and opioids), mental health and natural highs. It has been described as the perfect combination of stand-up comedy, interactive demonstrations and inspirational stories. Matt empowers students to be leaders in their lives and make changes in their environment. During the program, he presents science-based information about substance abuse and mental health, as well as the benefits of natural highs (e.g. running, meditation, cold plunge, etc). Dr. Bellace also shares his own story of student prevention leadership, as the founder of a nationally recognized student group at Bucknell University.
Outcomes
- Understand some basic science behind natural highs, such as running, laughing and helping others.
- Be able to identify their own natural highs and the value of using them to cope with stress.
- Understand the importance of having friends who are alcohol, tobacco and drug free.
- Be able to discuss the effects of vaping, binge drinking and marijuana use on the developing brain.
- Have fun and associate having fun with prevention in high school.
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KEYNOTE: “Life Is Disappointing and Other Inspiring Thoughts”
Target Event
All school Assemblies, Conferences
Ideal Audience Size
100 – 5,000
depending on the venue
Duration
70+ minutes
This dynamic presentation combines Matt’s signature style of mixing stand-up comedy, audience interaction and psychological research on building resilience in teens. The program includes a discussion on stress management (e.g. meditation, reframing emotional pain) and seeking out an empathetic support network. In addition, it focuses on inspirational stories of people who have faced disappointment and found inspiration through the pain.
Outcomes
- Learn about positive social support, healthy forms of self-expression and creative ways to express emotions. Here are the three points: 1.The Most Beautiful Waves Come From the Biggest Storms, 2. Sit With Emotions, 3. Change Your School
- Be able to understand the benefit of struggling in life.
- Be able to utilize 2-3 healthy coping mechanisms in daily life to reduce stress and increase productivity.
- Have fun and leave feel more empowered to overcome barriers in their life.
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WORKSHOPS
Target Event
Student Leaders, Prevention Groups
Ideal Audience Size
50 or less
Duration
60-90 minutes
“The Brain, Behavior and Vaping”
The 2018 Monitoring the Future Survey found that vaping use (nicotine and THC) increased more in one year for high school students than any other drug they had ever measured since their survey began in the 1970s. Students deserve to receive quality information from reliable sources about vaping and have a discussion on its impact. This workshop aims to present the up-to-date information on vaping, especially the powerful data on nicotine addiction, while have a discussion about how to find healthier way to cope with stress.
“The Brain, Behavior and Alcohol”
The drug of choice for young people remains alcohol – nearly quarter of 12th graders reported binge drinking in the past month (Monitoring the Future Survey, 2012). However, neuroscientists are just beginning to learn about the life-long changes caused by adolescent binge drinking. The adolescent brain is uniquely vulnerable to risk-taking and addiction, both potential outcomes of frequent binge drinking. This workshop is an interactive discussion of the effects of alcohol use on the developing brain and behavior. Dr. Bellace uses humor and a non-judgmental approach to convey neuroscience research that supports choosing healthy natural highs over chemical highs like alcohol.
“The Brain, Behavior and Weed”
Some people believe that weed is “like salad.” This funny, but sadly inaccurate statement is consistent with the data showing a decrease in the number of young people who disapprove of regular marijuana use (Monitoring the Future Survey, 2012). The relaxation of state marijuana laws, smoking of the drug as “medicine” and spread of misinformation through pop culture creates an illusion that pot is safe for the adolescent brain. This workshop is an interactive discussion of the effects of marijuana use on the developing brain and behavior. Dr. Bellace uses humor and a non-judgmental approach to convey neuroscience research that supports choosing healthy natural highs over chemical highs like marijuana.
“Youth Advocacy Workshop”
Teens are capable of more than we give them credit for. However, young people vary wildly in terms of their ability to speak publicly, thanks partly to all the screen time reducing to face-to-face interaction. This workshop examines the basics of youth advocacy (e.g. public speaking skills, using emotion to convey messages, working as a team) and empowers students to make change in their community. The workshop also focuses on Dr. Bellace’s youth advocacy efforts as a college student in creating a nationally recognized substance abuse prevention group on campus.
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MULTI-DAY WORKSHOPS
Target Event
Health, Science
or other Classes
Ideal Audience Size
30 or less
Duration
60 minutes
Session 1: “Brain, Behavior and Addiction”
The drug of choice for young people remains alcohol – nearly a quarter of 12th graders reported binge drinking in the past month (Monitoring the Future Survey, 2012). However, neuroscientists are just beginning to learn about the life-long changes caused by adolescent binge drinking. Some people believe that pot is “like salad.” This funny, but sadly inaccurate statement is consistent with the data showing a decrease in the number of young people who disapprove of regular pot use (Monitoring the Future Survey, 2012). The relaxation of state marijuana laws, smoking of the drug as “medicine” and spread of misinformation through pop culture creates an illusion that pot is safe for the adolescent brain. This workshop is an interactive discussion of the effects of alcohol and marijuana use on the developing brain and behavior. Dr. Bellace uses humor and a non-judgmental approach to convey neuroscience research that supports choosing healthy natural highs over chemical highs like marijuana.
Session 2: “Your Better High Story”
For too long, the emphasis in prevention is on the negatives of the drug user and the drug use. This workshop shifts the focus to natural highs and how to integrate them into everyday life. Healthy natural highs are all around us and this workshop encourages students to identify their favorite natural highs and the emotions they elicit. In addition, students get to share their favorite natural high story with the group. In this program, Dr. Bellace uses the “teachable moment” style of presenting to interject information and humor.
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Stand-up Comedy Night
Ideal Audience: Students, Parents and Teachers
Ideal Audience Size: 30 or more
Duration: 90 minutes
This event is a great way to take Matt’s natural high message to the next level. The stand-up comedy show is perfect for high school-aged students and their parents. This show brings the laughs without relying on material that promotes substance abuse. The show lasts up to 90 minutes and includes Matt and two other comedians from New York City. Past shows have included comedians such as Joe Matarese from The Late Show with David Letterman and Comedy Central Presents, Ted Alexandro from The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan O’Brian and Jimmy Kimmel Live and a nationally known improv comedy troupe called The Indicators.
Public Speaking/Stand-up Comedy Workshop
Ideal Audience: Students and Staff
Ideal Audience Size: 30 or more
Duration: 90 minutes
In this workshop, Dr. Bellace will lead a discussion of effective public speaking techniques when working with all audiences. In addition, he will encourage select members of the audience to put together a brief (2-3 minute) presentation about a topic they feel compelled to share with audiences. Dr. Bellace will create a supportive environment to debrief each participant on what worked and what could be improved the next time. This is great opportunity to learn from a professional speaker on how to deliver content effectively to an audience.
Media Campaign:
Weed Is Not Salad
Ideal Audience: Students, Parents and Teachers
If you’re looking to create a media campaign using Dr. Bellace’s unique blend of humor and content, take a look at Weed Is Not Salad. A group in Westchester New York commissioned Dr. Bellace and a professional cartoonist to collaborate on this project, which focused on teen marijuana use. This is a sample of that work just as an example of what Dr. Bellace could do for your organization.
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