Restorative practices and policies in action

Clear the Vapor Conversations

Listening to students, leading with care: Restorative practices and policies in action with Lee Anne Dodge. 

Clear the Vapor Conversations convenes researchers, public health advocates, and leading experts as they participate in informative discussions held throughout the year. The series addresses a variety of topics including: environmental harms caused by vaping; “creative” vaping cessation ideas; and engaging youth to quit. Each event features a moderated discussion with your questions answered live. 

As schools face the growing challenge of youth vaping, too many are still turning to ineffective and, in some cases, harmful discipline policies like suspension or expulsion. These punishments don’t stop vaping and don’t acknowledge the child's addiction—they isolate students, disrupt learning, and can push young people further from the support they need.

Join us for Listening to Students, Leading with Care, a timely conversation with restorative practice expert Lee Anne Dodge, Program Director of SoPo Unite: All Ages, All In. Lee Anne has led transformative policy changes in schools, replacing zero-tolerance approaches with restorative practices that keep students engaged, connected, and supported while addressing substance use head-on.

In this session, we'll discuss how schools can:

• Implement proven alternatives to suspension for vaping

• Involve students directly in prevention and recovery efforts

• Partner with parents and communities to create lasting change

• Build school environments that prioritize connection, accountability, and trust

Lee Anne’s work demonstrates that when schools listen to students and lead with care, they not only address vaping more effectively but also strengthen academic outcomes and community well-being.

Lee Anne Dodge is a Prevention Specialist and the Program Director of SoPo Unite: All Ages, All In-A Drug Free Communities Coalition. She has a Masters degree in Adult and Higher Education. Previously she was on the Maine CDC’s Prevention Team and provided oversight and technical assistance to community coalitions across the state. She worked at the University of Southern Maine as the Assistant Director of Student Life and Coordinator of Substance Use Prevention and Wellness. She was the coordinator of HEAPP- Maine’s Higher Education Alcohol Prevention Partnership and worked with over twenty of Maine’s campuses on substance use prevention. She has been a Prime for Life instructor for DEEP (Driver Education and Evaluation Program) instructor for the past 20 years and teaches the Under 21 Program. She worked at the University of New Hampshire as a residence director for ten years. She lives in Dresden, Maine with her husband Andy and their yellow Lab: Minnie Pearl.