Transcend School Assemblies are a mainstream program designed to challenge teens and college students to live out their full potential and avoid the pitfalls of substance abuse, suicide, violence and sex. The assembly is targeted to international, national, regional and local schools and universities.
The program has been presented to hundreds of students in public and private schools alike and is praised by administrators and principals as one of the finest and most effective school assemblies ever presented to their student body.
Transcend is a 25 minute interactive address where Dr. Lance Watson shares experiences and stories to meet students on their level. His speaking ability is engaging, allowing him to find common ground to address serious issues that are hindering youth around the world and need to be addressed. Topics include:
Academic Achievement
- Academic success is important because it is strongly linked to the positive outcomes we value for children. Not surprisingly, research shows that adults with high levels of education are more likely to be employed, and to earn higher salaries (Pew Social Trends, 2014).
- Beyond work and wages, academic success is important because working Americans will need higher levels of education to tackle the technologically demanding occupations of the future (National Alliance of Business, Inc., 2014).
- Furthermore, the number of jobs requiring a college education is expected to grow more than twice as fast as those not requiring a college education over the next ten to twenty years (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Academically successful students will have more employment opportunities than those with less education.
Alcohol
- Approximately 40 percent of students have used alcohol at least once.
- Approximately 1 out of 20 has drunk alcohol on 40 or more days.
- Approximately 25 percent of students in the eighth grade or below have tried alcohol, and two-thirds of those in the 11th and 12th grade have.
Drugs
- A new drug report issued December 2011 by the U.S. National Institute on drug abuse indicates that fewer teens are using methamphetamine, but marijuana and prescription drug use still remains high.
- The use of newer drugs, such as the hallucinogenic salvia leaf and the prescription drug Adderall, seems to be gaining in popularity. More than 5 percent of 10th and 12th graders who did not have ADHD admitted using Adderall to get high in the past year.
- Almost 1 in 10 high school seniors admit they used the narcotic painkiller Vicodin, and 1 in 20 said they used OxyContin as least once in the last year. Nineteen percent of teens said they got the prescription drugs from their doctor, 8 percent from dealers, and 66 percent from friends or relatives. Sadly, 12 percent said they “took” them, 21 percent bought them and 33 percent said someone gave them the drugs.
Suicide
- Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds.
- Among young people aged 10-14 years, the rate has doubled in the last two decades.
Violence
- 23.4 percent of youth ages 12-17 reported that, in the past year, they had gotten into a serious fight at school or work.
- 7.4 percent of youth ages 12-17 reported that, in at least one instance, they had attacked others with intent to seriously hurt them.
Sex
- In 2011, 46 percent of high school students had engaged in sexual intercourse.
- 14 percent of high school students had had four or more sex partners during their life.
Through Transcend School Assembly, Watson delivers a highly motivational message to capture the thoughts and attention of students, leading them to listen and evaluate their own level of motivation while empowering them with the knowledge that they can make a difference.
He effectively communicates not only the “real-life” experiences of others but his own dramatic story. Watson does not demand or correct, but meets the students where they are, leaving them with the challenge, “Who wants to live a successful life?”
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