Two teams of six students and two adults from Peabody-Burns High School’s SAAD Chapter joined more than 150 high school students and adult advisers from 15 Kansas counties for the 15th annual Kansas Youth Leadership Summit at Rock Springs 4-H Center in Junction City.
KYLS is a program coordinated by Kansas Family Partnership and sponsored by the Kansas Department of Transportation that focuses on reducing underage alcohol and drug use and encouraging safety-belt use and safe driving behavior among Kansas youth.
During the summit, the PBHS teams created two different action plans. One was to continue to grow and enhance the mentoring program, and the other is to give students positive options to prevent alcohol and drug use as well as to promote safety belt use and safe driving behavior in the community.
“Attending KYLS motivated and trained us to serve as catalysts of positive change in our community. As a result, we can improve our community and expand our leadership skills,” said Annette Elliott, chapter sponsor.
PBHS students and adults who attended KYLS were Bryant Young, Mallory Harris, Tyler Entz, Adam Frye, Paige Murray, Lexi Schreiber, Max Caldwell, Anna Lubbers, Marcus Sanders, Kayla Page, Sydney Jantz and Breanna Lett. Paula Harris served as an adult sponsor along with Elliott.
Through interactive sessions and skill-building activities, KYLS participants explored new ways to deal with critical issues facing teens and communities today, including alcohol and drug availability, perception of harm, community social norms, family attitudes, binge drinking, marijuana use, crash dynamics and more.
Students are excited about working to change the climate in their school and community that focuses on students making better choices and parents becoming more informed about the dangers of alcohol and drug use, according to Elliott.
Bill Cordes, nationally known motivational speaker and author who presents to more than 70,000 students, teachers and businesses annually, led the summit.
KYLS participants also heard from youth speaker, Chance Elliott from PBHS about his work with SADD and his trip to SADD Speaks in Washington, D.C., this summer.
