Project STOMP Winning PSA from Ames High

Ames High students Adrian Guan, Camden Wacha, and Jason Ahn were recognized by Iowa State University’s Project STOMP (Steps Toward Opioid Misuse Prevention) for their work on a video Public Service Announcement “Don’t Drink Your Life Away”. They won first place in the high school teams group in not only video but also the radio competitions. 

Working under the guidance of an adult Team Mentor and the Project STOMP Team, this project was a nine-week process. Participants learned more about addiction science and substance misuse prevention through research, collaboration, and the production of a radio or video PSA. They also learned about using best practices in research and media production. 

“We learned a lot about how teens are very affected by misuse in our community, even in our student body at Ames High” said Guan in an interview with Iowa Live, “and we really wanted to target that and spread awareness.”

Teamwork, time management, and leadership skills were also key takeaways for the participants. Guan, Wacha, and Ahn’s professionalism, time management skills, and media productions surpassed Project STOMP’s expectations. The campaign was developed to be completed in-person or virtually, allowing Ahn, shown in the video, to participate from Korea. 

“Thanks to the technology, we were able to communicate through social media,” Ahn told Iowa Live. 

Project STOMP is designed to educate and raise awareness in Iowa of substance misuse prevention and related issues.