In setting your agenda you will first need some agreed aims and objectives for your ‘Alcohol Information Night’.

What are your aims and objectives?

Setting aims for the night keeps you on track by giving you a clear outcome to strive for. What you want to achieve from the night will differ from school to school. Here are some possible aims.

• Increase parents' and students knowledge about the health effects of alcohol misuse.
• Help parents gain confidence in discussing alcohol issues with their children
• Increase parents' and students' knowledge of GPs and other local services that are able to provide assistance for alcohol-related problems
• Give parents the opportunity to hear about and consider young people's attitudes to drinking, and to look at their own attitudes
• Explore the range of community groups’ attitudes and gain support for your school's program
• Provide practical strategies for parents and students to reduce the harms associated with alcohol misuse

You will not be able to achieve major change in one meeting, so don't try to. Set aims that are realistic and achievable.

Objectives are more specific and measurable than aims. The objectives for your parent evening may include getting parents and students talking to each other about drinking and thinking about what it's like to be in the other person's shoes.

Decide Agenda

A successful Alcohol Information Night Agenda should include a mix of presentations and activities. 

Here are two sample agendas to give you some ideas.

• Sample Agenda 1
• Sample Agenda 2

The first step in setting an agenda is to think about the interests and needs of your audience. The Audience needs checklist will help you do this.