 |
|
|
|
Twenty Youth Attend Berkshire County American Red Cross Youth Leadership Conference
PITTSFIELD, MA - The Berkshire County Chapter of the American Red Cross held its annual Youth Leadership Conference October 12th to the 14th at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort. The conference is part of the Red Cross Youth Leadership Program, which provides area high school-age students with an opportunity to develop leadership and project-planning skills through service learning. The Youth Conference was designed to enhance communication skills, develop goal-directed thinking and encourage teamwork. This years conference attendees were: Matthew Gigliotti, Erica Grunow, Travis Toole, Jayme Markham, Becca Bride, Melissa Johnson, Sara LaPlante, Sara White, Sarah Fabry, Jonah Slattery, Kevin Irving, Leigh Rosenfeld, Dan Labrode, Brooke Hubley, Sonia Boyer, Jamie Bernardara, Amanda Rivers, Annika Wisswaesser, Ashley Ethier, Brynn Stott-Cohen.
Conference attendees worked as a group to identify issues they feel are problems for Berkshire County. Some of the issues the youth addressed were lack of space for youth to gather, discrimination, safety, hunger, school financial problems, elders, violence, and the environment. They will spend the next year planning and implementing community service projects that will address these issues. The youth are determined to find a coffeehouse space for themselves and a space for a graffiti wall. Anyone in the community that can help with the youth's ideas please contact Jodi LaPlante-Santos at the Red Cross.
The Youth at the Conference collaborated with the Southeastern Connecticut American Red Cross Chapter through painting a 30 feet x 5 feet piece of mural in response to the September 11th attack. The youth piece is one of several pieces that will make up 5,280 feet of mural that will be hung outside the United Nations building.
The Youth also painted their own Leadership mural. The mural will be displayed at the Berkshire County Red Cross.
Support for the conference and the program comes from the Berkshire Teen Coalition's Teen Challenge Fund, Berkshire United Way, Northern Berkshire United Way, Williamstown Community Chest, the National Red Cross grant, and Chapter generated funds. We are grateful to all of our funders for helping us continue to serve the youth of Berkshire County.
Many thanks to Linda Ruberto, Red Cross board member and Kathleen Phillips, Executive Director of the Red Cross, for facilitating the leadership workshops. I also want to thank Joe Coates, Erin Feldman, Brigette Johnson and David Coombs for chaperoning at the conference and helping out with whatever was needed. Thank you to Berkshire Community College, the Berkshire Teen Coalition, Barry St. Peter, Leadership Innovations, Scot A. Robinson, RAS Moon and the U.N., Abdul Baki, Ruby Rice-White and Jiminy Peak for their beautiful facilities.
Any high school age youth from Berkshire County that is interested in the program please call Jodi LaPlante-Santos 442-1506.
|
|
|
