Raise 5 Edutainment: Effectively educating while entertaining to reduce substance abuse and HIV risky behaviors among African-American college students

Contemporary college students utilize technology-driven communication for most of their information-seeking and information-sharing. Yet, the Raise 5 Project successfully shifted that paradigm in its design, implementation and evaluation of an innovative, face-to-face, student-driven, integrated communication intervention to engage African-American college students for the prevention of substance abuse and HIV infection. The novel approach reached, informed, initiated and effected voluntary behavior change by combining education and entertainment.  Thus, education + entertainment = edutainment. The methodology blended popular culture, positive and relevant messages, traditional and contemporary communication channels and community/campus outreach to stimulate dialogue and debate that was not one-sided, didactic, or moralistic.  It allowed the audiences and student facilitators to engage in a way that really resonated, did not finger-point or come across like sermons and portrayed realistic situations that may happen and impact their lives. The peer facilitators and role-models did not judge or stigmatize people if they had HIV or used substances. The dramas depicted experiences that place students at risk, so the audience could relate. Raise 5 edutainment included: a talk show series, Viewpoint: The Black Perspective, featuring “Sex, Drugs, You and Your Boo,” “Sweet Temptations,” and “After the High”; improvisational theater, “Evening at the Improv,” and; an integrated multimedia/panel, “Scandal.”  The creative development and production teams worked closely together to decide what messages to convey, why, and how to generate a positive and lasting impact. Evaluation demonstrated edutainment as an enjoyable, effective and cost-efficient approach to promote HIV and substance abuse prevention among urban, African-American college students.