Youth Leaders Commit to Being Positive Role Models

Approximately 40 youth leaders from schools throughout Wood County gathered at the Elmwood Community Center in Jerry City Ohio Saturday for the annual Teen Institute Winter Retreat. Students representing the Bowling Green, Eastwood, Lake, Elmwood, North Baltimore, Northwood, Otsego, Perrysburg, and Rossford school districts, as well as Penta Career Center, attended the event.

Teen Institute is a youth leadership initiative that empowers area youth to develop skills and strategies to send a strong “no use message” and impact drug use reduction in their schools and their communities.

Throughout the course of the Saturday event, youth attended education classes, leadership training events and fun filled drug free activities.  Margie Harris from the Arc of Wood County presented information on the only preventable cause of mental retardation, FASD  Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.   The youth also shared creative ideas for the Junior Teen Institute (JTI) retreat, which will occur March 19 in Rossford.  During that retreat, Teen Institute members will lead some of the programs and be role models for a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle in their schools. Funding for the retreat was made possible from the AHAMHS Board, Wood County Educational Service Center, and ODADAS. Prevention Specialists from the Wood County Educational Service Center Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) Prevention Program organized and chaperoned the event.