Shattered Dreams

Purpose

Shattered Dreams is about drinking and driving. It's about living and dying. The program targets high school students and involves the dramatization of an alcohol-related crash on or near a high school campus, complete with police and EMS response, ER treatment, family notifications, and the arrest and booking of the driver. The crash scene drama is played out before the student body during a school day.

 Symbolism

Throughout the day the other elements of the "docudrama" unfold. To give students a better understanding of the number of DWI-related deaths, an individual dressed as the "Grim Reaper" appears in a different classroom every 15 minutes to select a new victim (every 15 minutes someone in Texas is injured or killed by a drunk driver). The victims are taken out of class, made-up in white faces and dressed in black t-shirts to symbolize death, and then returned to their classrooms to continue their day.

By the end of the day, every student has 1 more "dead" classmates present in the classroom with him, and on this note the school day ends. The next morning a wrap-up assembly is held featuring those who played roles in the previous day's drama, including the "crash" victims, the drunk driver, their parents, and participating law enforcement and medical personnel.

Conclusion

Their comments and impact statements from community members whose lives have been affected by teenage alcohol use and teenage DWI bring a closure to the program and reinforce its dual message for the teenage audience - Don't drink until you are 21, and never drink and drive. The program also educates people in making the right choice when it comes to riding with an impaired person.