That mindset is what drives the work of the John Fontaine, Jr. Center for Alcohol Awareness and Education, housed within the University Health Center and the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Georgia.
The Fontaine Center was founded in 2006 to address substance misuse with a focus on the broader campus environment and has since helped shift campus culture away from high-risk drinking and toward healthier coping mechanisms. Programs focus on prevention, early intervention, and recovery support for issues related to alcohol and other drugs. Recognizing the intersection of substances and other high-risk situations, the Center also offers education and support related to relationships and sexual violence prevention and support, including 24-hour on-call advocacy services.
“The outreach we do has a particular significance to my own family, having lost my cousin in an alcohol-related crash. I am so glad to have the opportunity to educate UGA students on risk reduction through the wonderful platform that your support has created.”
– Fontaine Center Peer Educator
The Fontaine Center’s programming teaches young people the skills to make safer decisions by:
Reaching young adults before they are faced with difficult choices.
Teaching young people to make informed, safe decisions for themselves and their friends.
Recovery support tailored to each person’s unique circumstances.
Each year, the Fontaine Center’s professional staff holds around 1,800 individual appointments and serves thousands more students through group sessions. Student mentors expand the Center’s reach and provide insights into methods that resonate with their peers. The Fontaine Center’s work has become a model for other universities and serves as an advisory resource for Southeastern Conference (SEC) athletics.
counseled on alcohol and drug prevention, mental health, and violence.
counseled on alcohol and drug prevention, mental health, and violence.
have been trained on bystander intervention.
have attended presentations on preparing high schoolers for college.
have taken relationship and sexual violence prevention programs.
have participated in alcohol and drug prevention programs.
have learned about risky behaviors at college orientations — with 4,000 more freshmen reached each year.