West Virginia University’s WELL WVU has received a grant from the National Collegiate Athletic Association to develop and implement effective alcohol education programs for WVU students.

The overall goal of the grant is to partner with WVU intercollegiate athletics and other departments to provide campus-wide efforts to reduce alcohol abuse.

WELL WVU will use the three-year $30,000 NCAA grant to partner with WVU intercollegiate athletics in the development and implementation of effective alcohol-education projects for WVU students.

In an effort to educate students about the risks involved with the misuse of alcohol, the NCAA has, through the support of the NCAA Foundation and Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., developed NCAA CHOICES, a grant program for alcohol education.

The NCAA CHOICES program provides funding for NCAA member institutions and conferences to integrate athletics into campus-wide efforts to reduce alcohol abuse.

“This grant will enable WELL WVU to utilize WVU athletes in the development of alcohol education programs and in promoting the WELL WVU liveWELL concept.,” said Director of Wellness and Health Promotion Colleen Harshbarger. “Campus-wide efforts will be implemented through social marketing campaigns, experiential education programs and web-based initiatives conducted at the WVU campuses.”

A member of the NCAA, WVU competes in the Big East Athletic Conference at the Division I-A level in 17 intercollegiate varsity sports.

For more information, please contact Harshbarger at 304-293-5054.

-WVU-
ta/04/20/11

CONTACT: Colleen Harshbarger, WELL WVU
304-293-5054, colleen.harshbarger@mail.wvu.edu