The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Youth Council will be hosting a documentary film screening of Shades of Youth: Youth speak on racism, power, and privilege, followed by  a YOUTH-led and centered panel highlighting experiences of race and identity in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and a discussion of how this issue affects ALL youth in our community.

The event will be held Wednesday, May 30^th, 2012 at Court Square Theater. Admission to the event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Doors open at 7:00pm; the film begins at 7:30pm.

Youth Council students are excited about the opportunity to begin dialogue around a community issue that affects all of us, but is rarely acknowledged and may be difficult to talk about. The purpose of this event is not to place blame or point fingers, but to share real stories that youth of color have experienced in our very own community and  begin a discussion about how race and identity affect all of us and what we can do in response.

We hope you can attend! The event is also posted on Court Square Theater’s website: courtsquaretheater.com/shades-of-youth

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Saturday, April 28th from 9:30 -12:30p.m. bring your friends and family to the Reading Road Show’s Touch-A-Truck Event! Located at the Chic-Fil-A of Harrisonburg, kids of all ages will get to safely explore a fire engine, police cruiser, a loader, John Deere equipment, a semi, a bus, and so much more!

Event takes place rain or shine. $2 donation per person or $5 for three people.

All donations will be going to the OCY’s Gus Bus Program.

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On April 19th at 7:30 PM at JMU’s Wilson Auditorium, Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma K. Gandhi, will give a lecture titled“Lessons Learned from My Grandfather:  Nonviolence in a Violent World.”

This event is free to the public. Come out and enjoy!

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A huge Thank You is in order for yet another successful Lucky Duck Race Event due in large part to our supporters and our sponsors!

Our sponsors included:

Massanutten Water Park

Cargrill

Daily News-Record

TheValley’s Fox

My Valley

Digico

CommonWealth One

Farm Credit

Massanutten Realty

BioLife

We sold 1,856 tickets this year, 156 more than last year!
Congrats to the winners of the Duck Race:

1^st Place: David Fox

2^nd Place: Liz Hartzler

3^rd Place: Jean Snowden

The OCY’s staff held a competition themselves. Congratulations go out to Kim Hartzler-Weakley who sold 289 tickets, Jennifer Rea who sold 178 tickets, and Michael Maurice who sold a total of 159 tickets. Keep up the good work for next year!

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“Teenagers say that their parents most influence their decisions on sex, love, and relationships,” (according to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy). Ncfamily.org reiterates this statement declaring, “Almost 60 percent of 12-14 year olds indicated that parents have the greatest influence on their decisions about sex. [Interestingly enough], “only 34
percent of parents who have adolescent children thought that parents have the most influence over teens’ decisions about sex.”

But the truth is, as parents, you do have influential power of creating awareness and acting as a source of information for teens about sex.

The conversational topics of sexand/or sexuality are often times challenging for parents and their teenage sons
and/or daughters, but it is a conversation that must start early and continue long after “the talk”.

Because of the taboo nature of sex, many parents often resist or hesitate to participate in that conversation, disallowing themselves to play a participative role of teacher to their child’s student. Because of this reluctance, many parents miss multiple opportunities that arise in the interactions they have with their children to begin that important conversation and allow for open
dialogue to take place.

It is important, as parents, to allow for an inclusive, open communicative space for teens to feel comfortable in reaching out and starting that often scary or embarrassing discussion about their curiosity or pressure they feel towards sex and their feelings toward their own sexuality. In creating that safe interaction zone, parents can utilize their own experiences and their own expertise to guide their children to an informative, positive, and safe sexual and dating direction. According to the article, 5 Ways to Become an Approachable Parent: Positive Parenting for Teen Sexual Health,  in order for open communication to occur between parent and child, parents need to remember to have a “nonjudgmental outlook, a listening ear, open-mindedness, a calm demeanor, and light-heartedness”.

Open communication allows for teens to take value in making their own, informed decisions in regards to sex, while also allowing parent to acknowledge that their teens are young adults equipped with factual information and the ability to make the most informed decisions in regards to the health and overall well-being.

So how do parents ease their way in starting that dialogue with their teens?

Healthychildren.org in the article, How do I talk with my teen about sex?offers some tips:

•BE PREPARED. Read about the subject so your own questions are
answered before talking with your teen. Practice what you plan to say with your
spouse or partner, a friend, or another parent. This may make it easier to talk
with your teen when the time comes. Speak calmly and clearly.

•BE HONEST. Let your teen know that talking about sex isn’t easy for you but
that you think it’s important that information about sex comes from you. And
even though you would prefer that your values be accepted, ultimately decisions
about sex are up to your teen. If your teen disagrees with you or gets angry,
take heart, you have been heard. These talks will help your teen develop a
solid value system, even if it’s different from your own.

LISTEN.Give your teen a chance to talk and ask questions. It’s important that you give
your full attention.

•TRY TOSTRIKE A BALANCE. While teens need privacy, they also need information and
guidance from parents. If your teen doesn’t want to talk with you about sex and
tells you that it’s none of your business, be firm and say that it is your
business. Your teen should know that you’re asking out of love and concern,
especially because there are potentially harmful situations. If your teen is
quiet when you try to talk about sex, say what you have to say anyway. Your
message may get through.

•ASK FOR HELP. If you just can’t talk to your teen about sex, ask your
pediatrician; a trusted aunt or uncle; or a minister, priest, or rabbi for
help. Also, many parents find it useful to give their teens a book on human
sexuality and say, “Take a look at this, and let’s talk.”

Many studies have shown that investing in the time and commitment it takes to educate and inform teens on sex, sexuality,and healthy relationships leads to teens taking responsibility with their own sexual behavior. Children need and wish for their parents to step up and be the authoritative figure on matters such as sex, sexuality, and dating relationships, because children see their parents as protectors of their social and emotional welfare. Parent’s values, attitudes, and beliefs about sex should be understood and appreciated by teens to make sure they make the best possible behavioral decisions when it comes to their sexual  behavior and health. In order for this to occur, open communication channels between parent and child should be open, ready for anything to come its’ way because open parent-child communication truly serves as a win-win for both parent(s) and teens!

So get talking!

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Just as “CPR” skills make physical first aid possible, training in suicide intervention develops the skills used in suicide first aid.

ASIST is a two-day intensive, interactive and practice-dominated course designed to help caregivers recognize risk and learn how to intervene to prevent the immediate risk of suicide.  ASIST is widely used by people in a variety of “front line” positions, including counselors, campus security, student services and residence hall staff, health care center staff, social workers and campus ministry. 

Additional information on the ASIST program is available at: http://www.livingworks.net/page/Applied%20Suicide%20Intervention%20Skills%20Training%20(ASIST)

ASIST training is available to adult helpers on the following dates:

1.     Feb. 16-17, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA

2.     Feb. 23-24, Virginia Mennonite Retirement Center, Harrisonburg, VA

3.     May 9-10, Radford University, Radford, VA

4.     May 30-31, Virginia State University, Petersburg VA

5.     June (dates T.B.A), Roanoke University, Roanoke, VA

6.     July 11-12, Lord Fairfax Community College, Middletown, VA

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Check It Out!

Saturday, March 31, 2012.   “Walk For Hope” in downtown Harrisonburg. College students from EMU, JMU, Bridgewater and Blue Ridge Community College join together to raise awareness about suicide.

Find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Walk.for.Hope.Harrisonburg OR contact Pam Comer at pam.comer@emu.edu

Sunday, April 22, 2012.  Chi Sigma Iota will host its second annual AFPS Out of the Darkness Campus Walk on James Madison University’s Campus. Registration will be held in Highlands Room of the Festival Conference and Student Center starting at 12p.m.

To register, go to: http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.ctm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventDetails&eventID=1705   

We can also be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/James-Madison-University-Out-of-the-Darkness-Campus-Walk/293071534084077

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On March 2nd, local Page County programs will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’s Birthday and the Launch of Reach Out and Read!

Reach Out and Read is a national program which provides an age appropriate book at every well child check.

The celebration will include stories, snacks, and a dramatic reading by Blue Ridge Youth Theater and will be held from 5:30p.m.-7p.m. at Page Health Care Associates.

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It’s that time of the year again!

Mark your calendars for Saturday March 24^th at 4:00! We will be having our 4^th annual Lucky Duck Race Fundraiser at Massanutten WaterPark! Great prizes include:

1st and 2nd Place – $500 cash OR 3 day/2 night stay at Massanutten with waterpark tickets for four.

3rd Place: $250 cash

You don’t have to be present to win but with each purchase of a duck you receive $15 off waterpark admission for the day (what amazing savings!).

Ducks are $5 each, $12 for a family of 3 ducks, $24 for a flock of 6 ducks.

Our generous sponsors for the event include: Massanutten WaterPark, Cargill, CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union, Farm Credit & Country Mortgages, the Daily News Record, My Valley, Valley Fox, DIGICO and Massanutten Realty. Thank you to each of these businesses!

 Call Jennifer at 540-568-2559 or email reajl@jmu.edu for more information and to reserve your tickets today!

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