From staff reports
Since the beginning of the school year, more than 35 high school students from six Clarion County school districts have been learning good leadership and project planning skills through their involvement in the Clarion County Youth Council (CCYC).
Through the guidance of Joe Markiewicz, a motivational speaker, senior consultant and national youth trainer for Building Stronger Communities, the students have been learning how to look at data and plan effectively to accomplish prevention and awareness projects in their schools.
In October, students learned the process for narrowing down what topics to tackle based off real local data found via the Pennsylvania Youth Survey. Students learned about risk and protective factors and brainstormed ideas on how to address the issues they felt were most important.
On Nov. 30, students gathered together again to share project plans, network and learn more about effective leadership.
The schools shared the following projects they are currently working on:
Clarion Area students chose to look at the risk factor “Low Commitment to School” and aimed to make students feel included and increase connections. Clarion students are planning projects to create connections between staff and students and show appreciation to each other.
Union students aimed at addressing the issues of vaping by creating a poster campaign to bring awareness to the dangers and concerns of vaping.
A-C Valley students chose to focus on areas such as inclusivity and spreading kindness. Two projects the students do regularly include the Stockings for Soldiers project and being pen pals with residents from a local care home.
Redbank students focused broadly on raising awareness for issues they feel are concerning for students in their district, along with spreading kindness and encouraging school involvement. They have participated in Red Ribbon Week and plan to run two projects each month addressing a variety of concerns.
November is World Kindness month and that has been the theme for North Clarion students. They have worked on spreading kindness through sidewalk chalk positive messages and a Post-It Notes on lockers positive messaging campaign.
Keystone CCYC students have been focused on promoting school spirit, connections and spreading kindness. Projects they’ve completed and have planned for the future include a “You Matter” pep assembly, Christmas Spirit Week, and an “escape room” inspired gingerbread house project.
Markiewicz provided a diversity activity for the students that helped them to see some vast differences even among this small group with thought provoking questions and discussions. This activity helped the students to see the value in people’s differences and how to be respectful when working with others.
To close out the afternoon, Markiewicz led the students in learning about holding effective meetings and ideas for peer-to-peer ATOD prevention programming.
Students will continue to work on projects throughout the school year with a virtual “check in” meeting in February and will close out the year at an in-person meeting in April.
CCYC is a student leadership program that promotes positive, social projects and helps students take a lead in battling issues that face them and their peers at school and in their communities.
CCYC has been funded through the generous support of Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission through the Clarion Drug Free Coalition.
The meeting held on Nov. 30 was generously sponsored by the Fryburg Sportsman’s Club and Clarion County Human Services.
For more information about this program or how to get involved, contact Amanda Cserr from Clarion County’s Promise at (814) 223-1590.