Here are some instances of GAMES in the News.
Please note: All Monroe Courier Articles are reprinted with permission from Hometown Publications.

Monroe will pilot program to combat problem youth gambling (11/16/00)
A recent survey indicates that 47 percent of 7th- to 12th-graders in the Greater Bridgeport Region have gambled. Of most concern is the 13 percent who reported more frequent gambling - five or more times - and the increase in gambling among students as they progress from 7th to 12th grade.

GAMES gets ready to roll (2/14/01)
A steering committee of students, parents, community leaders, town and school offi-cials, industry professionals and the media has been meeting since November to address the issue of problem gambling among Monroe youth.

Positive approach to youth permeates overall thinking (2/14/01)
The series of courses I attended from the Southern Connecticut Youth Development Training Institute, sponsored by the Regional Youth and Adult Substance Abuse Project and the state Office of Policy and Management, recently concluded.

Problem gambling under study; Monroe youth participate in study to determine issue's scope (4/18/01)
GAMES, a committee organized through the Regional Youth/Adult Substance Abuse Prevention Project (RYASAP), soon will be distributing a survey to students from grades 7 to 12 on the topic of problem gambling among youth.

Gambling survey results released (10/25/01)
Gambling apparently is not a serious problem among Monroe youth, although betting on sports is popular, according to the results of a recent student survey on the issue.

GAMES grant brings service learning leader to schools (5/9/02)
A committee that was organized to prevent problem gambling among Monroe youth cited some progress in achieving that goal during its April 25 meeting, the last of the academic year.

Raising awareness about 'silent addiction' (5/30/02)
Healthcare professionals refer to compulsive gambling as "the silent addiction" because it's not even on the radar screens in most people's minds.

Speaker warns of state's varied gambling outlets (10/31/02)
For young people in Connecticut, the lure of gambling is becoming increasingly difficult to resist.

Personal tale puts a face on gambling addiction (1/30/03)
A handful of parents and high school students got a personal look at gambling addiction last Thursday.

Breakfast addresses problem gambling (3/20/03)
Area legislators, who attended a breakfast sponsored by the Regional Youth/Adult Substance Abuse Project (RYASAP) Tuesday, heard some startling statistics about problem gambling

Monroe student wins award for website work (10/23/03)
When an important committee at Masuk High School in Monroe looked for someone to design its website, Brian Kursawe, 16, volunteered to do the job.

Decision-making in the 'black' for students (11/20/03)
A survey of student gambling at Masuk High School and Jockey Hollow Middle School shows the majority of students do not gamble.

RYASAP applauds Monroe residents (12/4/03)
Masuk senior Erik Davidson and Board of Education member Sally Lundy have received the RYASAP Youth/Adult Partnership Award for their involvement with the GAMES committee

Youth learn leadership, social skills (8/12/04)
Local teens gathered this summer to talk about what it takes to be a leader in today's world. They also learned about the importance of trust as they interacted with peers from different cultures and backgrounds.

Fresh Fest eases youth into high school (8/19/04)
In an effort to alleviate some of the inherent stress of starting a new school, Masuk High School has organized its first Fresh Fest, to take place Aug. 31.

GAMES is Serious Business (12/9/04)
It's a fun acronym for a serious subject: Gambling Awareness of Monroe through Educating our Students.

Fernandes takes top state award (1/6/05)
The Connecticut Association of Schools has named Laura Ferrante Fernandes as the state's Assistant Principal of the Year.

Honoring Local Leaders (4/14/05)
Sixteen volunteers in the greater Bridgeport region including Monroe will be honored with the 2005 Homegrown Spirit Award for their significant and often unsung service to their communities.
Monroe's recipients are Rudy D'Ambrosio, former School Resource Officer, and Penny O'Dell, a theatre and English teacher at Masuk High School.

TV's Roker hosts Masuk student gambling program (6/9/05)
Several Masuk students were videotaped for a Court TV special on teen gambling. The show, hosted by Roker, will feature students answering questions about gambling. It is to air this fall...

GAMES Students Part of Panel Discuss at Cromwell Safe and Drug Free Schools Conference (10/12/05)
On Friday, September 30, six GAMES members from Masuk High School made the hike to Cromwell, CT to further spread the word about their program. GAMES (Gambling Awareness in Monroe through Educating our Students) is a community- and school-based program that features an adult/student partnership. It aims to present Monroe and other communities with the potential dangers that can be associated with gambling, without being opposed to gambling.

Masuk students pilot new substance abuse program (11/3/05)
Decked out in red and black for spirit week; their faces painted and their hair streaked; a group of Masuk students joined together to discuss the recent formation of the Illegal Substance Abuse Awareness (ISAA) group.

Substance abuse program inspires (11/10/05)
I think most people would agree that high school is a rough time. There are so many things for kids to worry about-grades, sports, friends, family, college...the list goes on and on.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center’s TEDD-TV Program impacts Masuk Students (11/23/05)
Saint Vincent's Trauma Coordinator, Jane Winters RN.BSN, performed a brief skit prior to the start of the presentation. Trauma nurses Greg Humpal CEN and Joan Rooney CEN, along with Trauma surgeon Dr. Gary Kaml, split the students into two groups.

Masuk Students Finding their Voices (1/18/06)
Masuk High School is a participating member of the “Finding Her Voice” conference, a program administered through RYASAP in Bridgeport, which brings together young women from several school districts throughout the state to discuss issues that impact their lives.

Spreading the Word about Illegal Substance Abuse (3/15/06)
Everyone at Masuk has been to at least one presentation where GAMES (Gambling Awareness in Monroe through Educating our Students) members have presented. The program started five years ago with their main purpose to teach people about the risks and consequences of gambling.

GAMES looks to future (5/25/06)
Gambling Awareness in Monroe through Educating our Students (GAMES) at Masuk High School continues to spread its message to students and legislators around the state and nation.

Gambling addiction starts early (12/6/07)
The majority of Masuk High School's junior class doesn't think of gambling as an addiction. However, the students were surprised to learn from Asst. Principal Laura Ferrante Fernandes that some people become so obsessed with gambling that they are willing to do just about anything to continue the activity, including robbing a bank.