Naloxone Education Campaign

Fall 2023 UConn Co-op Legacy Fellowship - Change Grant Project

Project Summary

In collaboration with University of Connecticut Student Health and Wellness (SHaW) Grace Vaidian and Ashley Klancko executed a Naloxone Education Campaign. This project had several parts, all with the goal of providing UConn students with education on opioid overdoses and Naloxone (Narcan) use. One aspect of the project revolved around holding Naloxone training with SERAC, a local organization, where students learned about the life saving drug and received a box of free Naloxone. In addition, the pair made a short video on Naloxone so anyone interested could learn how to identify an overdose and administer Naloxone. Lastly, they focused on general education, utilizing tabling at various health fairs and SHaW’s educational modules. 

This project came about because they wanted to make Naloxone more attainable and encourage bystander intervention. They wanted to provide the general public with the confidence and resources to help a friend, family member, or stranger who is overdosing.

Project Accomplishments

• Created a partnership with SHaW
• Conducted trainings for Pre-Med Society, Student Nursing Association, and Interfraternity Council in collaboration with SERAC
• Created promotional items
• Added information on opioid overdose and Naloxone to SHaW educational module
• Tabled at health fairs
• Handed out Naloxone
• Produced a training video: https://studenthealth.uconn.edu/pharmacy/

Next Steps

• Reach out to Residential Life to advocate for getting Resident Assistants trained with Naloxone
• Create a regular program through SHaW that provides short Naloxone trainings on campus

We hope this can be a first step towards having Naloxone available to UConn students free of cost in an easily accessible way.

About Grace:

Grace has been passionate about addressing the opioid crisis ever since she worked at a Medical Examiner’s Office and witnessed the impact of the opioid epidemic first hand. Her idea to create a project to educate the UConn community on Naloxone started to take shape during her junior year with help from Ashlee Stone- her project mentor. She recruited Ashley Klancko the following year to help execute the project.

Grace double majored in an Individualized Major she titled “Drugs, Disease, and Illness” and Molecular Cell Biology. At UConn, she was involved with several research projects and served as an Office of Undergraduate Research Peer Research Ambassador. Grace was also the vice president of Women in Math, Science, and Engineering (WiMSE) Club. She graduated with the class of 2024 as a Honors Laureate with plans to go to medical school.

About Ashley:

Ashley joined the project during the application process during the Fall semester when the project was mentioned by Ashlee Stone, Grace’s project mentor. She didn’t know much about Naloxone at the time, besides that it had recently gone over-the-counter. Due to her interest in the opioid epidemic after watching a short Hulu documentary series, she thought it was a great way to get more involved and spread awareness about a persistent issue.

Ashley is a first year professional pharmacy student and a Junior at the time of the project. She works at the Student Health and Wellness Pharmacy as an Intern. In addition, she does freeze dry research with Dr. Robin Bogner, is the rising president of Knit for NICU, and is very involved at the UConn School of Pharmacy. Her academic interests include drug formulation and pain management.