Wood County youth gather join others for statewide leadership training

Fifteen Wood County High School Students representing gathered at Kenyon College in Gambier, OH last week with teens from across Ohio. The training, held July 17-21, was part of Ohio Teen Institute, a leadership training program that focuses on development of resistance skills to peer pressure and drug and alcohol abuse.

Student leaders in Wood County meet several times per year to be trained, to train others in these leadership strategies, and to show them ways to have a good time without bringing drugs and alcohol into the picture. Each summer, key student leaders gather at Kenyon College to re-energize, learn more, and prepare for the upcoming year.

Surveys returned by Wood County students after the retreat reported the training made them a better leader.

The majority of students also reported that they would use what they learned to help recruit new members to Teen Institute and help spread the group’s message in their schools.

Students who attended were:

Bowling Green:

Emily Drake

Eastwood:

Carli Kehres

Lake:

Kandie King

Karris Pugh

Daniel Ingle

Breanna Reardon

Amber Studyvin

North Baltimore:

Becka Adkins

Ashley Baisden

Ashlee Quantic

Tessa Reinman

Northwood:

Andrea Howard

Penta:

Jeremy TenEyck

Dustin Bolton

Perrysburg:

Ali Kopp

Additionally, the following students were chosen to serve as youth staff at the Teen Institute event:

Bridget Cushard (Bowling Green High School graduate)
Kaylyn Haynes (Lake High School)

Jeanine Lindquist, a prevention specialist with the Wood County Educational Service Center’s School & Community-Based ATOD (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug) Prevention Program served as adult staff at the state retreat.

Registration fees for participants were paid by ODADAS (Ohio Department of Alcohol & Drug Addiction Services) and by the Wood County Educational Service Center through a grant from the Wood County ADAMHS (Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services) Board.

Teens train for leadership at state level

Seventeen youth from throughout Wood County attended the Ohio Teen Institute Leadership training program. The event was held July 18-22 at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.

Students who attended included Kandie King, Amber Studyvin, and Breanna Reardon, all from Lake; Diamond Lorenc and Jeremy Teneyck, both from Penta Career Center; Ashley Baisden, Jessica Simon, and Jennifer Noykos, all from North Baltimore; Carli Kehres, from Eastwood; Kaylyn Haynes, Andrea Howard and Dustin Boltin, from Northwood; Christina Hohman, Bridget Cushard, and Emily Gerken, from Bowling Green; and Katie Rodriguez, and Emily Cohen, both from Rossford.

All students were able to attend through scholarships provided by the Wood County Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board through the Wood County Educational Service Center’s alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention program. The students are members of the Wood County Teen Institute programs offered through their schools.

Through the program, students develop skills to become positive leaders within their schools and communities. They also are equipped with the knowledge and abilities to not only make positive choices for themselves, but also to encourage their peers to make healthy choices.

Throughout the week, students participated in small discussion groups, attended workshops, listened to motivational speakers, and participated in a talent show.

“The only regret that I have about OTI is that I didn’t come sooner," said Gerken. "The enthusiasm and excitement prepared me to make a difference in my community.”

“I loved my family group," added Kehres. "They are all my new best friends. I can’t wait to go home and text them.”

The week-long program also included training for adults interested in or currently working with youth. ATOD on-sites Michelle Von Lehmden (Otsego) and Tonya Lentz (Elmwood) attended state T.I. for this advocate training.

On-site Jeanine Lindquist (Lake) attended as a State T.I. staff member.

Former Wood County T.I. members J.C. Gospadarek, Sean Williams, and Sarah Rutz; and current North Baltimore T.I. member Ashlee Quantic, also attended as youth staff.

Wood County T.I. members and leaders at State T.I. training.