Green Bay, Wis. (Sept. 8, 2008) –The Partners in Education (PIE) Drug Alliance announced today it has been notified by John Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), that they have been awarded a $100,000 Drug Free Communities (DFC) continuation grant. DFC grants are designed to help communities facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts and the PIE Drug Alliance is one of 568 Drug Free Communities coalitions to receive funding. 
“Funding received through the DFC grant allows us to maintain coalition activities dedicated to addressing the drug and alcohol abuse issues faced by young people in our community,” said Rebecca Deschane, youth development manager at the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and project director of the DFC grant. “We look forward to working with our coalition partners as we continue to educate the community on substance abuse issues.”
 
The PIE Drug Alliance will hold its annual kick-off meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008 at the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay, 1451 University Ave., Green Bay. The meeting starts at 7:30 a.m. and is open to the public. 

The PIE Drug Alliance sponsors a number of community and school-based events including: the safe-prom campaign, Prom Fashion Show, Post-Prom and Post-Grad night parties, the Great Paper Airplane Toss at Lambeau Field, Developmental Asset-building mini-grants and an annual Town Hall Meeting. This year, the PIE Drug Alliance also announced the kick-off of the Parents Who Host, Lose the Most: Don’t be a Party to Teenage Drinking campaign and will be working to continue educating the community on social host issues and the dangers associated with underage alcohol use. 

The Partners in Education Drug Alliance is a coalition of business, education, health care, law enforcement and community partners who seek to share community resources and educate the public on issues relating to the prevention of alcohol and drug use by are youth. It is funded by a Drug Free Communities Grant through the office of National Drug Control Policy and the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. The Partners in Education Drug Alliance meets on the 2nd Tuesday of September, November, January, March and May at various locations throughout Brown County. For more information about the Partners in Education Drug Alliance contact Rebecca Deschane at 593-3406 or rdeschane@titletown.org.
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The Education and Leadership department includes programs such as Partners in Education (PIE), Leadership Green Bay and Current Young Professionals. PIE’s most prominent programs include the Golden Apple Awards, Brown County Teen Leadership, Youth Apprenticeship, WisCareers, Career Expo and Educators in The Workplace--programs designed to strengthen the economic future of our community.
Established in 1882, the mission of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is to promote economic and community development. Chamber programs include Advance, Partners in Education, Leadership Green Bay, Brown County Teen Leadership, Current-Young Professionals Network, Good Government Council, the Highway 41 International Development Program, and the Small Business Council.

For more information about the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and its programs, call 437-8704 or visit www.titletown.org.
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