April vacation scavenger hunt teaches about Scituate history; alcohol prevention

The Valley Breeze
By Jacquelyn Moorehead, Valley Breeze & Observer Staff Writer 
April 14, 2022

SCITUATE, MA – Scituate students and residents are encouraged to spend April vacation participating in the Scituate Spring Selfie Scavenger Hunt, where players can use clues to find historic sites, facts about the town and links for drug and alcohol prevention.

Lisa Moreau, Scituate Prevention Partnership prevention coordinator, said the SPP held a scavenger hunt once before with a great response, and tried to get more community groups involved this year.

April is alcohol awareness month, and Moreau said she wanted the scavenger hunt to be fun and informative because one of the protective factors that prevents teens from drinking is community connectedness.

The SPP partnered with the Scituate Preservation Society, Students Against Destructive Decisions, the Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse and Hope Historical Society to bring the scavenger hunt to Scituate.

“We really wanted to teach kids about the dangers of underage drinking in a fun way, and engage them in doing something fun,” Moreau said.

Participants first join the Selfie Scavenger Hunt email list, where they will be given clues on April 19. Players will use the clues to find historic places in town, where informational plaques will be hidden. A QR code will also be hidden on-site, where players can watch videos created by VAASA and SADD, members of the police department, town officials and more.

Moreau said that at each found location there will be a selfie prop box. Whoever submits all their selfies by the deadline on April 24 will be entered into a spring-themed swag bag drawing. Moreau said items include movie tickets, spring activity kits, and more.

Register at https://tinyurl.com/mtwhrnzx.

Later in the month, SADD students will go to Socrates Pizza for the sticker shock campaign, placing stickers on pizza boxes warning of purchasing and supplying alcohol to underage teens.

“We’re all working together to make this work,” Moreau said.

In May, SPP will hold a contest where students with the best public service announcement will win free prom tickets for prevention week beginning May 8.

Lastly, Moreau said the SPP will work with all regional summer programs to teach children about behavioral coping mechanisms, mental health initiatives to deal with stress and yoga.