The Stand Project is willing to share
authentically and provide subject matter
expertise to open up the conversation.
The Stand Project is actively opening up the conversation about substance abuse, which will hopefully stop the stigma.
We are committed to sharing information openly, with empathy. Take a look at the conversations we are having in the
Upper Arlington community. We invite you to join us.
school districts aim
to take on vaping
UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio (WBNS/10TVNews), Aired April 9th, 2019—School districts are finding different ways to let kids know the dangers. One recent issue included a Licking Heights middle schooler caught with a vaping device on a bus that made other students ill Monday.
In Upper Arlington, a parent volunteer group called The Stand Project is getting the message to parents and using teens to talk to kids about it.
Group issues warning
for central ohio parents ahead of prom season
UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio (WBNS/10TVNews), Aired April 10th, 2019— Parents, school administrators, police and community members in central Ohio are banding together to highlight trends and emphasize safety ahead of prom celebrations.
While much of the conversation is catered toward students, Upper Arlington School Superintendent Paul Imhoff said prom safety also involves parents.
students “standing up” against addiction
UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio (ABC6), Aired June 7th, 2018— The nice homes and manicured yards. Images of neighborhoods like this are not immune to the images of the opioid crisis.
And students at Upper Arlington High School realize this. Haley Gillespie and Drew Weisberg, two recent graduates from Upper Arlington High School, have been on a mission.
Intervention program helping
students and families find help for addiction
UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — Upper Arlington, like most communities, isn't immune to the problem of substance abuse. Just ask Wyatt Ledman.
"Going into my freshman year, we started smoking," said Ledman, now a 19-year-old recovering addict. "We smoked every Friday night before football games, and then it turned into every single day- all day."
“HEROIN: ONE DOCTOR'S PERSPECTIVE”
The Columbus Dispatch • November 29, 2015 (4:54)
An interview with Dr. John Leff, surgeon at Riverside Methodist Hospital.
“Stand Project aims to unite Upper Arlington's battle against heroin”
By Terri Sullivan (WSYX/WTTE) • Tuesday, August 23, 2016
A central Ohio community is urging residents to take a stand against heroin and other drugs.
'The Stand Project' is a collaboration between the City of Upper Arlington, Upper Arlington City Schools, Upper Arlington Public Library, Upper Arlington Community Foundation, OhioHealth and Syntero.
'The Stand Project's goal is the prevention of substance abuse and standing by students and families in finding help.
“OVERDOSE ON THE RISE”
News segment from WCMH-TV4 • Aired October 24, 2015 (3:02)
An interview with The Stand Project member Heidi Riggs whose daughter Marin, was lost to a heroin overdose at the age of 20.
“TAKING A STAND”
News segment from WBNS-TV10 • Aired October 23, 2015 (2:10)
An interview with The Stand Project Chair and UA parent, Jenny Ledman, whose 18 year old son Wyatt was involved with substance abuse while he was in High School.
ARTICLES
“FAMILIES STAND UP AGAINST DRUGS”
The Columbus Dispatch • Monday December 7, 2015
Family members often feel grief, guilt and even shame in discovering that a close relative has a drug problem. But with a staggering 47 lives a week being claimed by overdoses in Ohio, it’s encouraging to see a growing trend of families becoming advocates in combating drug abuse and supporting others whose lives have been upended by it.
After an incident last year in which Wyatt Ledman passed out after drinking, smoking pot and taking prescription pills, Jenny and her husband, Dan, started talking about the problem of drugs to anyone who would listen — including those who might have been shocked or uncomfortable to hear that such a problem existed in upscale, well-educated communities such as Upper Arlington.
“FAMILIES TAKE LEAD TO FIGHT DRUG-ABUSE EPIDEMIC IN CENTRAL OHIO”
By Alan Johnson & Catherine Candisky
The Columbus Dispatch • Sunday November 29, 2015
The night Jenny Ledman spent with her drugged teenage son, her hand over his heart to feel whether it was still beating changed everything. After that, she and her husband, Dan, took nothing for granted. They talked to their son, Wyatt, his friends, teachers, other parents, city officials, police, health-care professionals, business owners — anyone who would listen — about the community drug problem.
“Not talking about it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” said the Upper Arlington mother and graphic designer. “There’s a tightrope you’re walking. Parents alone can’t resolve it. We’re all in this together.”
“FENTANYL INVOLVED IN 502
FATAL OVERDOSES IN 2014,
A FIVE-FOLD INCREASE”
By Alan Johnson
The Columbus Dispatch • Thursday September 24, 2015
A new silent killer, addictive and lethal, is stalking Ohioans and killing them in massive numbers. Fentanyl¸a synthetic, highly addictive opiate 50 times more potent than heroin, was involved in 502 fatal overdoses last year, pushing Ohio drug deaths to 2,482, a staggering 17.6 percent jump over 2013, the Ohio Department of Health reported on Thursday...
“THE STAND PROJECT AIMS
TO STOP ADDICTION”
NBC4i.com • Thursday September 28, 2015
UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) — One central Ohio community is tackling the issue of youth drug addiction head-on. Research has shown at least half of high school seniors in Upper Arlington drink alcohol at least once a month and 27 percent of them smoke marijuana. Local leaders are joining with parents, students and law enforcement officials to put a stop to it. They’re calling it “The Stand Project”...
Founding members of The Stand Project include (from left) Upper Arlington Superintendent Paul Imhoff, The Stand Project Chairwoman Jenny Ledman, Drug-Free Action Alliance Executive Director Marcie Seidel and UA Police Chief Brian Quinn.
“The Stand Project takes aim
at substance abuse”
By NATE ELLIS
THIS WEEK • Wednesday September 16, 2015
A group of concerned community leaders, parents and others in Upper Arlington recently formed a new organization aimed at preventing substance abuse and providing support and resources to those who are struggling.
After months of planning, a community effort that includes the Upper Arlington Police Division, Upper Arlington schools, parents, businesses and faith-based groups culminated with the formal establishment of The Stand Project.
If you are experiencing an emergency and need immediate medical attention or psychiatric help,
call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Please also consider dialing 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Hotline.