Shattered Dreams is a a two-day program focusing on high school juniors and seniors,which challenges then to think about drinking, personal safety, and responsibility of making mature decisions when lives are involved. The program is based on the fact that every fifteen minutes someone in the United States dies in alcohol-related traffic collisions and shatters the lives and dreams of innocent families. By creating an intense, realistic simulation of their "death," students see clearly the pain caused to others by making poor decisions. This program has proven itself to have a profound impact on students, parents, and the community.
| Approx. 40 students | Claybar Funeral Home |
| Lufkin Fire Department | Woodland Heights Medical Center |
| Lufkin Police Department | Memorial Health System of East Texas |
| Champion EMS | School Faculty & Administration |
| Angelina County Sheriff's Dept. | Parent-Teacher Organizations |
| Angelina County Constables | Parents |
| Volunteer fire & police departs., etc. | Community Businesses |
| TV & Radio Stations |
The program entails the following:
Prior to Prom weekend, pre-selected students are met in class by a person dressed as the "Grim Reaper." A uniformed officer then announces the "death" of that student, reading from an "obituary" prepared by the student's parents. The student is removed from class by the "Grim Reaper" and taken to a staging area.
The faces of the pre-selected students are painted to resemble the "Living Dead", and are returned to class. They are not to interact with other students at school the remainder of the day.
The students' parents simultaneously receive a mock death notification from a uniformed police officer at their homes or place of employment.
Later in the morning, a staged fatality accident is held near the campus, involving emergency personnel, including police, fire, paramedics, helicopter rescue, coroner's office/funeral home personnel, additional pre-selected students and innocent victims.
At the end of the day, the "Living Dead" students are taken for a tour of the hospital emergency room and the funeral home, and then to an overnight lodging facility in order to effectively simulate that the student is "gone." At the "retreat", these students participate in acitivities and interact with guest speakers, faculty and members of the community. Students also write a letter to their parents relating feelings that may have never been shared prior to their "premature death".
The next morning, at an assembly, a mock funeral is staged for the same students that observed the mock accident. Several of the letters by students and parents are read.
A de-briefing session is then held for the participants due to the extreme emotional experiences incurred by some of those involved. Counselors are on hand to meet with them then and afterwards if necessary.