Pubdate: Fri, 17 Nov 2006
Source: Leduc Representative (CN AB)
Copyright: 2006 Leduc Representative
Contact:  http://www.leducrepresentative.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2265
Author: Tarwinder Rai

ANNUAL VISUALEYES YOUTH CONFERENCE A BIG SUCCESS

Over 130 students attended this year's Visualeyes 2006 Junior High 
Youth Conference held at Christ the King school, Nov. 3

Over 130 students attended this year's Visualeyes 2006 Junior High 
Youth Conference held at Christ the King school, Nov. 3.

Hosted by the Youth Issues Working Group, the annual conference was 
designed to arm students with the tools to make appropriate choices in life.

The day-long conference subsequently titled, Choices, consisted of 
presenters offering interesting and interactive opportunities for 
students to develop skills to make positive choices in areas relevant 
to them, said Lorraine Whipple, co-ordinator of the Leduc Community 
Drug Action Committee, one of the many partners that make up the 
Youth Issues Working Group.

"The youth were totally engaged," said Whipple, adding topics covered 
in the Choices conference included relationships, bullying, drugs and 
alcohol. "Throughout the conference there was the message of hope. 
Youth are often being told to not do this or that, but there is no 
reality to it. The conference gave them the opportunity to hear real 
stories about making positive choices and the consequences of making 
bad choices."

The conference, often a year-long planning process, owes much of its 
success to all the partners involved, said Whipple.

"The students didn't get the feeling they were being preached to, but 
felt presenters were sharing information. Kids are going to make 
choices so we need to give them the full scope of the reality of 
making them and that it is what this conference did," she added.

The Youth Issues Working Group consists of partnerships between Leduc 
Family and Community Support Services, the Boys and Girls Club of 
Leduc, Leduc Community Drug Action Committee, AADAC, RCMP, St. Thomas 
Aquinas Roman Catholic schools and Black Gold Regional schools.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine