Thank you, Phoenix Collegiate Academy!

Today the Ask, Listen, Learn team had an awesome Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day event with 180 6^th and 7^th graders at Phoenix Collegiate Academy in Phoenix, Arizona.

We had two very special guests speak today- Ask, Listen, Learn Superstar Rebecca Soni and Attorney General Tom Horne. As you can see from the pictures, we were in a room at a school unlike any other one we've ever visited before- it used to be a bowling alley!

The students had a great time playing our Xavix game and asking Rebecca questions about her daily workout routine, peer pressure when she was younger, and how she balanced school and swimming. Rebecca reminded all the student that it's important to say “Yes” to a healthy lifestyle to keep your mind and body fit for the future!

Stay tuned for more pictures on our Facebook soon…

Thank you, Arlington Science Focus!

This morning, Olympian Steven Lopez joined the Ask, Listen, Learn team in Arlington, VA at Arlington Science Focus School to (literally) kick off their day-long healthy lifestyle event.  The ALL team played our Xavix game with fourth graders and Steven answered questions about his training, daily diet and even showed off some tae kwon do moves!

Thank you to Physical Education teacher Ms. Jennifer Hall and the school administration for inviting us!  We're so glad the Ask, Listen, Learn game is a key part in teaching your students say YES to a healthy lifestyle, and NO to underage drinking!

Thank you, Emerson Middle School!

Today the Ask, Listen, Learn team was at Emerson Middle School in Los Angeles, CA with Superstar Bryan Clay. Even though the rainy weather delayed the assembly a little, the 300 students were happy to play our Xavix game and answer questions about healthy lifestyle choices.

 Bryan spoke about the importance of making good decisions while you're young in all aspects of life because what you do now affects who you'll be when you're older. He explained that he had a tough life growing up in Hawaii without much inspiration to be anything but a convenience store cashier, but he soon found passion to be something greater when he started running track...

Haley Kilpatrick's The Drama Years - Book giveaway

The Century Council is happy to announce we're working with Haley Kilpatrick, founder of Girl Talk, Ask, Listen, Learn Superstar, and one of TCC's 20 People to Watch on her nationwide book tour. Kilpatrick's book, Drama Years: Real Girls Talk About Surviving Middle School – Bullies, Brands, Body Image, and More focuses on the few short years when girls go through an incredible number of changes both physically and emotionally.  During these formidable years, girls face many pressures, which can often lead to and include drinking underage.

Parents, you have the power to positively influence your son or daughter when it comes to saying no to underage drinking.  A recent survey found 83% of youth 10-18 identify parents as the leading influence in their decision not to drink alcohol (The Century Council, 2012).  The Century Council is proud to support Kilpatrick's tour as she places much needed emphasis on improving ongoing conversations between parents and their daughters covering the importance of building positive self-esteem, dealing with peer pressure, and how to stand up and say “no” to underage drinking. 

We will be sponsoring Haley's book tour as she travels from coast to coast to encourage an ongoing dialogue between mothers and daughters to talk about the risks of underage drinking and how to deal with other pressures that come with the territory of Middle School. 

A girl's teen years can be confusing and often frightening. The book will help parents and teachers understand what they're going through, and how best to support them. The first 25 people to tweet what advice you would give your teenage self, with the hashtag #thedramayears, will receive a free  a copy of Haley's book from The Century Council.

 Review the event list below to see if Haley will be in your hometown.  We would love to see you!

• April 5, Louisville, Kentucky


• April 10, St. Louis, Missouri


• April 16, Kennesaw, GA


• April 18, Decatur, GA+


• April 20 & 21, Atlanta, GA


• April 23, 2012, Albany, GA


• April 26, Raleigh, North Carolina


• April 30, Denver, Colorado


• May 1, Seattle, Washington


• May 2, Redmond, WA


• May 3, Bainbridge Island, WA


• May 10, Frisco, TX


• May 12, Phoenix, AZ


• May 24, Seaside, Florida

Get times and addresses for each event here.

Contact Jessica Lepak for event details at lepakj@centurycouncil.org

Partnering with USA Swimming for a healthier future

We are pleased to announce our newest partnership with USA Swimming, the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States. The partnership is a key component of outreach efforts to parents and middle-school aged kids during Alcohol Awareness Month and beyond.

Parents, coaches and educators play a large role in influencing youth. The partnership with USA Swimming expands Ask, Listen, Learns' reach to active kids and parents. In partnership with USA Swimming, The Century Council will have a presence at Aqua Zone in Omaha where the 2012 US Swim Trials will be held June 25th through July 2nd. The Aqua Zone footprint will allow The Century Council to reach youth and parents through engagement on our interactive game and by providing compelling speakers to empower a captive audience. Ask Listen Learn ambassadors building out our swimming team include:

Tyson Gay: Alcohol Awareness Month

Helping kids say 'YES' to a healthy lifestyle and 'NO' to underage drinking is really important. This morning I was invited to Al Roker's morning show “Wake Up With Al.” We spoke about April being Alcohol Awareness Month and also about my work with Ask, Listen, Learn and visiting middle schools across the country.

The Ask, Listen, Learn program is personal for me. My daughter Trinity is in the target demographic of Ask, Listen, Learn. She's already a successful young girl in so many ways and I don't want her to get involved in drinking underage because it would take away her ability to function at 100%. The more kids I can talk to the more hopeful I am they will steer clear of alcohol and be able to excel in school and life.

Thank you, Strough Middle School!

This morning, the Ask, Listen, Learn team was in Rome, NY at Lyndon Strough Middle School. We enjoyed talking to the kids with Congressman Richard Hanna and hope you all had fun playing our Xavix game and winning sunglasses and bag giveaways for answering questions about healthy lifestyles.

Thank you to Principal Rourke and all the teachers for hosting us at your school today. And to all the students: keep studying hard, and always remember to say YES to a healthy lifestyle, and NO to underage drinking!

Join our new ambassadors- take the pledge!

As part of our efforts to keep kids safe and alcohol free, we have expanded our list of ambassadors of the Ask, Listen, Learn team to empower kids to “Say 'YES' to a healthy lifestyle and 'NO' to underage drinking.”  The ambassadors excel in their selected paths and attribute some of their success to saying NO to underage drinking.

While parents are still the leading influence in a kids' decision not to drink alcohol, athletes and positive role models also hold weight in encouraging kids in making healthy decisions.  Our variety of Superstars encourage kids to join over 700,000 other kids that have signed the pledge committing to a healthy lifestyle. 

The newest addition to the Ask, Listen, Learn Superstar team includes:

• Bryan Clay, two-time decathlon medalist and regarded as the “World's Greatest Athlete”


• Tyson Gay, three-time world champion and America's “Fastest Man”


• Steve Lopez, three-time medalist in Taekwondo


• Rebecca Soni, breaststroke world champion and gold medalist swimmer


• Mallory Weggemann, champion Paralympic swimmer


• Remmi Smith, star of "Cook Time with Remmi," and "The Culinary Kid"

We urge kids to visit asklistenlearn.com throughout the month of April in celebration of Alcohol Awareness month.  We've got three new educational games for you to play, the above Superstars to read about, and the option to 'Apolocize' yourself and become the Most Decorated US Winter Olympian. 

Parents, you still play the largest role in your childs' decision not to drink alcohol.  Visit asklistenlearn.com/parents for tips on how to start the conversation with your kids.  Start talking with your kids early about the risks of underage drinking as a key way to prevent them from drinking alcohol underage. 

 Join the ranks and take the pledge to “Say 'YES' to a healthy lifestyle and 'NO' to underage drinking.”

Enter your school in the Ask Listen Learn challenge!

Could you use $1,000 in a Sportime voucher to buy PE equipment for your school or community based organization? How about a visit from an Ask, Listen, Learn Ambassador to your school? If so, we encourage you to team up with your students and enter the 2012 Ask, Listen, Learn Challenge! The Century Council, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and Sportime are proud to announce the first ever “Ask, Listen, Learn Challenge” to raise awareness on the importance of saying “yes” to a healthy lifestyle and “no” to underage drinking during Alcohol Awareness Month.

This challenge is open to teachers of grades 5-7 who are current users of the Ask, Listen, Learn interactive game. For details and to enter, please download the registration form and submit to asklistenlearn@aahperd.org by April 15.

Winners will be announced during National Physical Education and Sport Week (May 1-7). For more information regarding the competition, please contact Chris Kuhn via email at kuhnc@centurycouncil.org or by phone at (202) 637-0077.

Don't miss this great opportunity! Be one of the first 200 people who register and receive a heavy-duty Sportime SetSack to help organize and transport your PE equipment!

An Alcohol Awareness Month Message from Bryan Clay

I am really excited that we have finally entered April.  We have finally entered spring on our way to summer and the Olympics this year and it is Alcohol Awareness Month!  While I have spent tons of time on the track and in the gym, I have also been spending time with The Century Council and the Ask, Listen, Learn program.  We have visited middle schools and talked about the importance of making healthy decisions and saying no to underage drinking.  My kids are not quite teens yet, but as a father, I understand the need to be involved in your kids' lives and this program strikes a chord with me.  When my kids are teens I want them to make healthy decisions and live up to their full potential – and underage drinking is not one of those healthy decisions. 

I didn't make all of the right decisions when I was younger and it took a lot of hard lessons for me to realize I was on the wrong path and wasn't living at my 100% potential.  You can check out my book Redemption when it comes out on May 1^st.  In it I explain some of the struggles I went through and how I had to realize that the only way to become a successful Olympic Athlete was to make better life decisions than I was making before. 

According to research, nearly one-third of eighth graders report that they have tried alcohol once in their lifetime and 15% report they have been drunk.  Parents, start talking about the dangers of underage drinking with your teens now.  You can use these tools at www.asklistenlearn.com  to show your kids how to say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking.