Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk announced the launch of a grassroots, community-based coalition aiming to change the county’s cultural acceptance of alcohol abuse Thursday morning.

Part of the coalition includes a new project to address alcohol abuse in Dane County middle schools.

Under Executive Director Steve Goldberg, the CUNA Mutual Foundation granted $15,000 to Falk and Project Hugs, an intervention program for people who are affected by alcohol abuse, to kick start early prevention programs.

According to Goldberg, a third of Dane County middle school students have admitted to binge drinking, which is defined as five drinks for men and four drinks for women in one sitting.

“Their impact of course is quite negative in their own lives and their abilities to finish school,” Goldberg said. “[Binge drinking] has implications in domestic abuse, crime, getting jobs and a whole plethora of other problems.”

Goldberg said two middle schools would be chosen to participate in this project sometime next week. One will be chosen from the city and another from the rest of Dane County.

A caseworker will be assigned to each middle school and will work to provide effective tools for students and their parents to avoid alcohol abuse.

The project uses a process of motivational interviewing to encourage students to take responsibility for their own choices, Goldberg said.

“The track record that they have established in their work is impressive,” Goldberg said. “The testimonials from parents and from the students and teachers have been very encouraging,”

The caseworker in each school is projected to reach about 20 students and their parents by the end of the one-year term.

“We are helping them develop the metrics and have articulated what we would need as evidence that this is worth continuing to support,” Goldberg said.

Falk spokesperson Josh Wescott said the coalition was started after extensive research showed data displaying the effectiveness of similar citizen-driven coalitions in other areas of the country.

According to Wescott, the coalition consists of a diverse cross section of people including health officials, victims of alcohol abuse, families who have been affected, teachers and more. The group has united in an effort to change the alcohol culture in the Dane County area.

“It’s good old-fashioned politics from the grassroots level — people getting together to advocate for change,” Wescott said.

Wescott added there was no specific task given to the group.

“We want them to come in with a clean slate, set their agenda, pick a problem they’d like to specifically address and tackle it,” he said.

Wescott said the agenda might include lobbying for changes in the state law or changes specifically in downtown Madison.

The coalition is holding its first meetings Dec. 8, 9 and 10 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Alliant Energy Center in the Waubesa/Kegonsa rooms on the second floor.