Red Ribbon Week Challenge Coins

Educators, you know how much Red Ribbon Week means to your school, and to students from kindergarten through high school. With deadly fentanyl and counterfeit pills in circulation, it’s more important now than ever to teach students about the dangers of drug, alcohol and tobacco use. Red Ribbon Week is an important part of the curriculum at all grade levels.

If you’re looking for a new way to reinforce the message of Red Ribbon Week custom challenge coins are a great, innovative way to reward good decision making and promote enthusiastic participation in your school’s events.

Traditionally observed from the 23rd through the 31st of October, Red Ribbon Week promotes a drug-free lifestyle and the importance of making good decisions. 

Each year features a new theme. The 2018 Red Ribbon theme of Life Is Your Journey, Travel Drug Free makes an ideal logo for a challenge coin. You can design your own school- or class-specific coins.

Red Ribbon Week History

Red Ribbon Week began as a way to honor the sacrifice of U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.

Born in Mexico, Camarena graduated from Calexico (California) High School in 1966,. He  served two years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Following that, he served as a Calexico firefighter, police officer and Imperial County deputy sheriff. He joined the DEA in 1974.

In 1981, he was assigned to combat drug trafficking in Mexico, based in Guadalajara. Four years later, he was about to expose a multi-billion dollar drug ring when he was kidnapped, tortured and murdered. He was 37 years old and left behind a wife and three sons.

In response to Camarena’s death, citizens of Calexico began wearing red satin ribbons to honor him and promote opposition to illicit drugs. Backed by a Congressman and a teacher, “Camarena Clubs” sprang up in local schools.

The groups embraced Camarena’s belief that one person could make a positive difference. By 1988, the idea for Red Ribbon Week went national, and has been a fixture of schools across the country ever since.

The event has become more popular each year. The Drug Enforcement Administration now offers a Red Ribbon Week custom patch that Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts can earn by participating in Red Ribbon Week activities. Community organizations are joining in as well, even holding Red Ribbon Week parades. Many communities issue proclamations of the week, recognizing it as a significant community event. Nonprofit groups and volunteer organizations often get involved as well.

Challenge Coins to Reinforce Lesson Plans

Red ribbons are, of course, the primary tool to promote Red Ribbon Week and demonstrate a commitment to a drug-free life. Custom coins can be an excellent way to strengthen the message and maintain awareness.

Custom challenge coins are a terrific motivational tool. Present each student in your class with one at the end of the week to commemorate completion of the Red Ribbon Week activities. They serve as a reinforcement of the importance of making good choices in life. And it’s easy to design coins that are age-appropriate for any level from elementary through high school.

Give your students something they can keep, a tangible reminder that good things happen when they stay drug and alcohol-free.  Recipients can carry their Red Ribbon Week challenge coins wherever they go. The coins give them something they can see and touch when confronted with difficult decisions. It’s a subtle way to remind students of the value of critical thinking.

More Ways to Use Red Ribbon Challenge Coins

You can also use challenge coins to expand Red Ribbon Week beyond October. Present them at monthly reminder meetings or at the end of the semester or school year as a way to reinforce the Red Ribbon objectives. If your school has a Red Ribbon Club that meets regularly, challenge coins are an excellent giveaway for members, to thank them for participating.

You can also post pictures of Red Ribbon Week activities on your school’s social media sites. Show your students proudly holding their coins as an incentive to encourage others to follow their example.

You can also use custom challenge coins to encourage parent involvement. If you have a parent/student event, you can present one design to students, and a different one to parents as a way to boost family engagement with the event.

Designing Red Ribbon Week Challenge Coins

When you’re designing Red Ribbon Week coins for your students, be sure to keep the year’s theme in mind. You can include it on the coins, and add a logo or other art to encourage awareness.

Use colors to emphasize aspects of the design. Naturally, you’ll want to include red, but don’t forget to add complementary colors as well for a striking visual appearance.

Keep in mind that your coins don’t have to be round. You have lots of choices for coin shapes, sizes, finishes and more. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your design. 

For more information about how to design your Red Ribbon Week coins, take a look at our Design page. Our artists will work with you to create challenge coins your students will be proud to carry or display as part of their commitment to living drug- and alcohol-free.

Ordering Red Ribbon Week Challenge Coins

When it comes to ordering Red Ribbon Week coins, we make the process fast, easy and fun. Our experienced team at ChallengeCoins4Less.com will be happy to help you craft a design for your Red Ribbon Week coins. We will incorporate your desired images, colors and message into your coins in just the way you want. We never charge for art or revisions, so you can be sure your custom coins will look exactly the way you want them to.

Check out our gallery page for examples of great challenge coin design. If you’d like to find out more about how Red Ribbon Week challenge coins can help inspire and empower your students, call us toll free at 855-272-8451, or email us at [email protected]. We’re always happy to answer any questions you might have!