Two parts.
One class period.
Ten weeks of follow-up.
UP2U is a school-based tobacco and nicotine prevention program for 9th grade Health and PE. You lead a 45-minute session once. For 10 weeks after that, three short video posts display on your classroom smartboard during attendance — about 5 minutes each.
Teachers in participating schools are part of a Randomized Clinical Trial funded by the National Cancer Institute at the University of Virginia. The research team trains you, coaches you, and handles all student surveys.
UP2UTeacher + UP2UDigital.
Two components. Different obligations. Assigned by your school's randomization condition.
Component one
UP2UTeacher
45 minutes · onceA scripted, teacher-led classroom session for all 9th grade Health and PE students. You follow the session guide — no background in tobacco prevention required. Students view embedded video clips and participate in brief group activities. A research staff member administers the baseline survey in your class before you begin.
Component two
UP2UDigital
~5 min · 3×/week · 10 weeksThirty messages, quizzes, and video clips displayed on your classroom smartboard during the attendance transition at the start of class. You open the content, the class engages together, and the day continues. No student devices, no logins, no additional instructional time. Begins the day after your UP2UTeacher session.
Study arm assignment: Your school has been randomly assigned to one of three conditions — UP2UTeacher alone, UP2UTeacher + UP2UDigital, or no-treatment control. Log in to your teacher portal to see your assignment.
What the research team provides.
Everything you need to implement your assigned condition — from training before you start to on-demand support throughout.
Teacher Training Workshop
Before implementation begins, you attend a workshop led by the research team. Covers the program model, delivery guidance, theoretical framework overview, and hands-on practice. Approximately 90 minutes.
Classroom Session Video
The full 45-minute UP2UTeacher session as a Vimeo-hosted video — available in your password-protected portal. Watch it before your first delivery. Includes embedded anti-tobacco video clips and follows the session script.
Session Delivery Script
A complete, step-by-step script for the 45-minute session — teacher instructions, activity cues, discussion prompts, and timing guidance. No improvisation required.
Smartboard Scheduling Guide
Step-by-step instructions for displaying all 30 UP2UDigital posts on your classroom smartboard across 10 weeks. Setup takes approximately 30 minutes. Technical support is available throughout.
Milestone-Based Coaching
The research team connects with you at three points: pre-implementation, after your session, and after week 1 of digital posts. Each check-in is approximately 45 minutes and focused on your questions and context-specific support.
On-Demand Support
Phone and email access to the study coordinator throughout implementation. The team responds within one business day. For same-day technical issues, a direct phone line is available.
What we're asking of you.
UP2U is a research study, not a standalone curriculum. Here is what participation actually involves — by phase.
Preparation
- Attend the teacher training workshop — approximately 90 minutes, scheduled by research staff before your implementation date.
- Watch the session video — full 45-minute UP2UTeacher video in your portal. Review before your first delivery.
- Complete smartboard setup — follow the scheduling guide to queue all 30 digital posts. One-time setup of approximately 30 minutes.
- Submit your implementation plan — note your planned session date and class periods for the digital phase and share with the research team.
Deliver UP2UTeacher
- Research staff administer the baseline survey in your class before you begin. Ensure students are present.
- Deliver the 45-minute session following the script. All materials are in your portal.
- Complete the post-session fidelity self-report immediately after delivery — 5 to 10 minutes. Covers session quality, adaptations, and any challenges.
Ten-Week Digital Phase
- Display three posts per week on your classroom smartboard during the attendance transition. Approximately 5 minutes per session.
- Complete a weekly fidelity check in your portal — note which posts were displayed, any missed days, and attendance. Takes 3 to 5 minutes.
- Log any deviations — if content was not displayed on a scheduled day, note the reason. This feeds process evaluation data.
Student Survey Days
- Research staff administer all student surveys — you do not distribute, collect, or track any assessment links or papers.
- Ensure students are present on four survey days: baseline, 3-month end-of-treatment, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up.
- Facilitate research staff access to your classroom or coordinate with administration for later assessment windows.
Estimated total time commitment (combined arm): 90-minute training · 45-minute session · 30-minute setup · ~5 minutes × 3 times per week for 10 weeks · 5-10 minute post-session fidelity report · 3-5 minute weekly check-ins · 4 survey facilitation days (no active work required).
Designed around how schools already work.
UP2U was engineered to survive the real-world constraints of public school Health and PE — limited time, competing priorities, and no budget for new technology.
Aligns with Virginia health standards
UP2U content aligns with 9th grade Health and PE Standards of Learning. Participation satisfies existing curriculum requirements — it is not an add-on.
Uses the smartboard in your room
UP2UDigital runs on the smartboard already mounted in your classroom. No new platforms, no new accounts, no student devices or logins required.
Runs in time that already exists
Digital posts display during the attendance transition at the start of class — a window that exists in every school regardless of subject, schedule, or staffing.
All students. No sorting.
Universal delivery — every student in the class receives the same content. No identification of use status, no separate tracks, and no stigma created in the classroom.
What the pilot showed.
of willing non-users reported being unwilling to use immediately after the UP2UTeacher session
of current users reported being unwilling to use immediately after the session
relative reduction in TNP initiation at 12-month follow-up vs. control — a clinically meaningful finding
Preliminary findings from the UP2UTeacher pilot study (N=520 9th grade students; 10 Virginia public high schools). Immediate post-session attitude findings only, except the 12-month relative reduction which reflects follow-up data. The pilot was not powered to reach statistical significance. Long-term outcomes are pending the full-scale Randomized Clinical Trial.
Access your teacher portal.
Your portal holds your session video, digital post library, implementation guides, fidelity reports, and coaching resources. Access is provided to teachers in participating schools.
Don't have a password? Contact the research team to request access.