Elevate Youth teens look to make a difference
<p>Coalition members met last Thursday to review the details of the trip. From left to right: Larry Wadsworth, Lisa Wadsworth, Mary Furlong, Amy Cheesman, Ashley Cheesman, Jessica Peterson, Jena Peterson, Chuck Standeford.</p>
SANDERS & MINERAL COUNTIES - Next week three teens representing the Elevate Youth Coalition will begin their journey to sunny Orlando Florida, not on a leisure trip but a working trip to learn the ins and outs of drug and alcohol prevention, planning and community development from a teens perspective.
Those that are attending will be participating in the Youth Track at this year’s CADCA mid-year conference. The youth track includes sequential sessions to help the youth identify the problems in their community, gather data, research and choose an informed solution to the issues.
“The goal is for the youth to see that they can effect positive change in their community, too often we see Youth as a problem and don’t give them credit for the amazing minds and perspective they bring.” Chuck Standeford, Elevate Youth Coalition director, said.
CADCA mid-year includes drug and alcohol prevention based classes focused on media advocacy, community involvement and strategies that are evidence based. More than 1,700 people from around the nation will be attending to learn, share and plan an educated approach to community development and positive change. The featured speaker this year will be Michael Botticelli, acting director of National Drug Control Policy.
This CADCA conference promises to inspire and ignite positive conversation for community members to bring home.
“I have been happy to partner with Elevate Youth this year and see some of the positive things we have done, from Red Ribbon week in all of the Mineral County Schools to local education and development of compliance checks in Sanders County,” said Mary Furlong of the Mineral County Healthy Relationships Project in Superior. “I am excited for the opportunity that is being presented to our youth, an opportunity to really dig in and see how they can make a difference in the world around them.”
Elevate Youth members that will be attending are Ashley Cheesman of St. Regis, Greg Wadsworth of Thompson Falls, and Jena Peterson of Plains.
Each youth and their family is participating in a raffle ticket fundraiser to help cover some of the costs of this trip. The prizes are a Montana made JK Sinclair hunting knife or a photo session by Jessica Peterson, both valued at $200.00 each.
For more information in Sanders County contact Jessica Peterson at 210-2960 or in Mineral County contact Shirley Iwata at 822-3564.