Each summer, scores of central Virginia high school graduates flock to beaches along the East Coast in an annual rite of passage — beach week — to celebrate the end of high school with the revelry of summertime fun.
But these excursions aren't without risk for students. Hanover County is offering programs this month to help the teens have fun at the beach safely.
Organizers said the programs enhance dialogue between students and parents to ensure a positive, safe and memorable graduation week.
It's a topic that can stir intense emotions in parents and teenagers, said Martha Lambert, coordinator of community education for Hanover Community Services.
"We want teens to find some common ground with their families and get on the same page around what a good experience is going to look like," she said.
Aleta Meyer, president of Ashland-based Prevention Opportunities, was unfamiliar with beach week when she moved to the area.
Now she is one of the program's presenters. Among the topics she discusses with the families are the long-term effects of drug and alcohol use and date rape.
She said there is a strong body of research that shows the level of partying during the summer before the freshman year in college is related to dropout rates during the sophomore year of college.
"The No. 1 reason for dropout rates is academic failure, which is highly correlated to excessive partying," she said.
These beach week programs began several years ago and stemmed from the angst parents felt about their children leaving for the beach or other destinations after graduation.
Two programs will be offered this month at Atlee and Patrick Henry high schools but are open to any students and parents who have an interest, Lambert said.
Teens and parents will rotate through workshops, such as holding a house meeting between teens staying together at a beach house and their parents, the effect that teens' decisions can have on the adult who signs the rental agreement, and how to be a good friend and take care of each other.
"We understand that while not all students head to beach week with the intention to experiment with alcohol and illegal drugs or participate in other risky behaviors, the reality is that many youth do," said Laura Robertson, youth services specialist with the Hanover Department of Community Resources.
"Parents and youth need to be knowledgeable about the risks and have the tools they need to be able to have a productive conversation with one another about beach week."
Chesterfield and Henrico counties also address the issue of beach week. In Chesterfield, the school district partners with Chesterfield SAFE to discuss beach week with families.
In Henrico, many of the district's high schools talk about it in connection with Parent Teacher Association and Parent Teacher Student Association groups.
Meyer said it's important for parents to continue to pay attention to their children and not take the attitude they no longer need to because the teens graduated high school and are "grown up now."
"Good, quality relationships with lots of communication and high expectations by parents and a clear sense of right and wrong, really sticks with people over time," she said.
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