Red Ribbon Week (RRW)

What is the Red Ribbon Week (RRW)?

Red Ribbon Week (RRW), the nation's largest and longest-running drug prevention campaign, is celebrated annually from October 23 to 31. Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is committed to this effort, and each year we host a variety of prevention-related activities in our schools. Our goal is to increase student awareness of the harmful effects of drugs and celebrate the many benefits of choosing a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. ACPS proudly joins this effort each year by conducting prevention-related activities across our schools to increase awareness about the harmful effects of drug use and highlight the benefits of living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. As part of the 2025 campaign, all ninth-grade students will benefit from assemblies where the main message will focus on increasing awareness regarding how drug use can lead to the development of addiction and celebrating the benefits of a drug-free life. Our district-wide activities include running social media messages, hosting the annual RRW Proclamation event at City Hall, promoting the student Poster Contest, distributing ten thousand wristbands and information packets to staff, implementing specialized Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons, and hosting informational resource fairs at secondary schools. These critical efforts are made possible through strong collaboration and support from community partners, including Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Opioid Work Group (OGW), the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP),  Alexandria City Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS ), Family and Community Engagement Center (FACE), Emergency Services (ES), SST Teams, Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) / Northern Virginia Family Service and ACPS Mental Health Specialist-Bilingual Services. More details below. 

ACPS News: 2026 Red Ribbon Week Winners

On April 28, the Red Ribbon Week poster contest 2026 awarding ceremony took place.  Each winner received a $100 gift card. Congratulations to the winners!!

Red Ribbon Week Resources for ACPS Staff and Schools 2025

To empower ACPS Principals, Administrators, staff, and SST Teams to develop and implement effective school-based activities, a comprehensive Red Ribbon Week Package will be distributed. This resource includes materials from the national RRW campaign, such as The Kiki Camarena Story, the 2025 RRW Planning Guide, and all official 2025 RRW logos and theme web banners. For direct school use, the package provides 2025 Morning Announcements, Red Ribbon coloring pages, and both the Youth and Adult/Parent Pledges. To ensure family engagement, the resources include a recorded message to parents and newsletter inserts, with key materials translated into Amharic, Arabic, Dari, and Pashto. These resources are essential for reinforcing the campaign's anti-drug message across the district. This effort is supported by partnerships with the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA), the ACPS Family and Community Engagement Center (FACE), the City of Alexandria, Virginia, the DEA, and the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP).

Comprehensive Red Ribbon Week Package

• ACPS Family Engagement Packet
• Translations (Amharic, Arabic, Dari, Pashto)
  • Pledges for youth and parents
  • Recorded message to parents & newsletter inserts

Original Material Package from RRW website

• THE KIKI CAMARENA STORY 
• THE 2025 RRW PLANNING GUIDE
• RED RIBBON CAMPAIGN LOGO
• THE 2025 RED RIBBON THEME LOGO
• 2025 THEME WEB BANNERS
• 2025 MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
• 2025 RED RIBBON YOUTH PLEDGE
• 2025 RRW ADULT/PARENT PLEDGE
• RED RIBBON COLORING PAGES

RRW- Wristbands Distribution 2025

Red Ribbon Week posters + Wristbands:  To reinforce the commitment to a drug-free lifestyle, the 2025 Red Ribbon Week campaign will utilize visible resources across the district. Ten thousand (10,000) wristbands, generously sponsored by the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA), will be distributed to School Support Team (SST) members and classrooms during RRW. SSTs and teachers will use these wristbands as a valuable tool to share with students during their drug use prevention and wellness promotion activities. Additionally, posters featuring last year’s winners of the RRW Poster Contest will be publicly displayed at schools to promote student-led prevention messages.

Poster Contest 2025

Red Ribbon Week poster contest submission form

Who can participate in the poster contest?
Entrants must be students currently enrolled in Alexandria City Public Schools. There are three contest categories: elementary, middle, and high school.
Note: All posters must be submitted by NOVEMBER 16, 2025.
If the poster is crafted and handmade, you can either take a picture of it and upload the image using this form, or mail the physical poster to the provided address.

Enter the Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest!

Who can participate in the contest? 

• Entrants must be students in Alexandria City Public Schools.
• There are three contest categories: elementary school, middle school, and high school.

How do I enter the contest?

• Submit a poster that promotes a drug-free lifestyle.
• Posters can be horizontal or vertical.
• Posters cannot be larger than 11” x 17.”
• Be creative with your entry – all mediums of art (freehand, multi-media, digital) can be used in the design of your poster.
• Each student can only submit one poster contest entry. Students may work on their poster with their parents/guardians, but posters should be created primarily by students.
• With your entry, please include a short description of how your poster promotes a drug-free lifestyle.
• Posters are judged on artistic presentation and strength of message.
• All posters must be submitted by NOVEMBER 16, 2025. Posters can be submitted through the online form below or can be mailed to the address below.
  • Red Ribbon Week poster contest submission form
  • The Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Center
    1701 N. Beauregard Street, 6th Floor
    Alexandria, VA 22311
    • If submitting via mail, please include the following information on the back of the poster: 
      1. Student’s full name and date of birth (month/day/year)
      2. Student’s grade and school 
      3. Phone number and email address 
      4. A short description of how this poster contest entry promotes a drug-free lifestyle
      5. How you heard about the contest
• Parents or legal guardians may submit the entry on student’s behalf.
• By submitting an entry, you have confirmed that ACPS/FACE and its partners have permission to reproduce the images and post on social media and other communication channels.
• Winners will receive a $100 gift card and their poster will be featured in Red Ribbon Week 2026!  

School Assemblies 2025

As part of the 2025 Red Ribbon Week campaign, all ninth-grade students will benefit from assemblies where the main message will focus on increasing awareness regarding how drug use can lead to the development of addiction and highlighting the benefits of a drug-free lifestyle. 

Information Tables 2025

As a key component of the 2025 Red Ribbon Week campaign, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is hosting informational resource tables at all secondary schools during student lunch periods to bring prevention resources directly to students. These Lunch Information Tables will run from October 20th through October 30th, with setup beginning at 10:30 a.m. and the main engagement window running from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m..

Students will have access to five main resource stations covering critical topics, including Opioid and Fentanyl awareness (DEA), the dangers of Alcohol and impaired driving (INOVA Hospital/WRAP), peer pressure and substance use like vaping and THC (SAPCA), and mental health crisis support including suicide and bullying prevention (DCHS/ACPS Mental Health Services). Dedicated tables will be set up at George Washington Middle School (Oct 22) , Francis C. Hammond Middle School (Oct 23), and both the Minnie Howard (Oct 24) and King Street (Oct 30) campuses of Alexandria City High School. This direct, collaborative outreach—made possible through our valued partners including the DEA, INOVA Hospital, SAPCA, WRAP (Washington Regional Alcohol Program), and DCHS—ensures that our students have access to vital information for choosing a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. 

RRW Proclamation 2025

Red Ribbon Week Proclamation 2025. Alexandria City officially proclaims Red Ribbon Week, an anti-drug campaign, annually around late October. The proclamation involves the city council recognizing the campaign and partnering with organizations like Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and SCAN of Northern Virginia to promote a drug-free lifestyle, often highlighting student participation in events like a poster contest.  The proclamation event for 2025 year will take place October 28, at 7 pm. Its open to the pubblic. 

SEL Lessons and Drug Use Prevention 2025

Integrating Prevention Through SEL Lessons

The 2025 Red Ribbon Week (RRW) campaign incorporates substance use prevention directly into the curriculum through specialized Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons designed for both elementary and secondary classrooms. These resources, shared with ACPS social workers, counselors, and teachers, serve as tools to facilitate class sessions on increasing awareness and promoting a drug-free lifestyle. The elementary materials focus on constructive use of time, developing a positive identity, improving communication skills, and the importance of supporting friends and family. The secondary slides address topics critical to older students, including Electronic Cigarettes & Drug Use, Facts about vaping, Facts about marijuana, the safe use of Prescription and Over-The-Counter Medication, and essential skills for Resisting Peer Pressure. All lessons emphasize the 2025 theme, "Life is a Puzzle, Solve it Drug Free", and utilize a Community Circle (CC) format to encourage open discussion, resiliency, and a shared pledge to live drug-free.

RRW SEL lessons. In a collaboration work between SAPCA, Mental health specialists, and substance abuse counselors a series of SEL lessons were developed to deliver the SA prevention message. This resource will be used by SST members and teachers to increase awareness about the risks and consequences of drug use.