At "Dumitra" Secondary School in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Form teacher's class went beyond a simple lesson and turned into an intense experience of awareness, courage and conscious choices. The activity took place within the national anti-drug campaign "Aware, not addicted", run by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania, under the guidance of teacher Andrada Ana-Maria Pantea.
The students literally stepped into an Educational Escape Room, a pedagogical construction inspired by the "Da Vinci Code" universe, where every detail mattered: codes, time limits, decisions under pressure, collaboration and responsibility. Prevention was no longer an abstract concept, but a real experience, lived step by step.
Room 1 - Choices Lab: In a cinematic setting, students were confronted with real-life situations: group pressure, the temptation to try "just once", the fear of saying "NO". They were not given pre-determined answers. They discussed, argued, weighed the risks and decided together. Only after they made a conscious choice was the first code unlocked.
Room 2 - The Digital Labyrinth: With their eyes focused on screens and their minds alert, students navigated modern pitfalls: phone addiction, the need for online validation, the hidden dangers behind a few likes. Only critical thinking and teamwork led them safely forward.
Room 3 - The Freedom Code: The climax: a real, Da Vinci-style Criptex. No rush, no toxic competition - just logic, cooperation and values. When the cylinder opened, the final message was clear to all: "Aware, not addicted."
Time stopped. The door opened. But the most important exit was not from the game, but from automatisms, pressures and possible addictions.
The activity at "Dumitra" Secondary School shows how prevention can be effective when it is lived, not just explained. When it is built on emotion, decision making, critical thinking and responsibility, the message reaches where it matters most: in children's consciousness.
