Public invited to youth conference
The Washington Health System Teen Outreach announces its 11th annual Ambassador for Respect program and its 25th annual Youth Conference. This year’s conference is “Let’s Listen.”
The County of Washington, including school districts and the alternative school, will participate in the program that encourages young people to model respect online.
The conference is entirely teen-driven. The Adolescent Advisory Board began preparing to facilitate the event in September; each school district selected and researched their own topics. The teens have created their own educational videos and PowerPoint presentations, and will teach adults and underclassmen the following topics in a roundtable ‘speed-learning’ format: accountability versus responsibility; addiction; dating abuse; follow your own dreams; importance of education/preparing for the future of our changing society; peer pressure and saying no; respect online; right versus wrong; and sexuality.
Participating school districts are: Avella High School, Bethlehem-Center High School, Canon-McMillan High School, Chartiers-Houston High School, Charleroi High School, Fort Cherry High School, Ringgold High School, Trinity High School, Washington High School and Washington Junior High School.
Pre- and post-testing will measure cognitive growth. Peer Educators will model respectful discussion. Over 130 high school students from Washington County schools will attend.
This is the first conference to which the public is invited. The success of the Let’s Talk program on school shootings, held at Washington & Jefferson College on March 1, inspired the Peer Educators and Advisory Board members to open their youth conference to the public. Interested adults must register by contacting Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski at podmj@healthyteens.com or calling the Teen Outreach office at 724-222-2311.
The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at Washington & Jefferson College, in the Rossin Ballroom, located on Lincoln Street between East Beau Street and East Wheeling Street, Washington. The conference is cosponsored by W&J’s Education Department.
As Podgurski shared at the Teen Outreach Adolescent Advisory Board final conference planning meeting, “Young people are the future. Their voices matter. Each encounter with an adolescent is a cross-cultural experience. Our young people are excited and ready to share their thoughts with caring adults. The online world is a huge influence in young people’s lives. Education is our best hope at encouraging respect online.”