A Community Conversation and Performance to Raise Awareness of Teen Pregnancy

Join us for youth poetry performances, youth-led, and intergenerational dialogue around teen pregnancy issues and prevention in our area. The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Youth Council, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, JMU’s Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services and the Healthy Community Council Teen Pregnancy Prevention Action Team invite you to a performance and dialogue around teen pregnancy in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

Do you work with young people? Are you a young person interested in teen pregnancy prevention and learning more about the issue? Come to this exciting event and engage the conversation on what can be done to prevent teen pregnancy in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. After a short youth performance on the issue community members and youth will break into smaller groups to discuss issues such as: socio-cultural norms around sex education and pregnancy prevention, local and state policy, how to talk about sex with youth and adults, and school culture around sex education. The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Youth Council will facilitate a youth only session addressing the difficulties and opportunities for youth in addressing teen pregnancy and youth sex education. Bring young people!

 When: June 6th, from 6:00-8:30pm

Where: Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center

For more information contact Josh at diamonjn@jmu.edu or 540-568-2571.

We cannot wait to see you there!

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By Jenna Burke, OCY intern

The display board featuring goals and aspirations of students at local high schools.

On May 1^st, 2013, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Healthy Community Council’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Action Team along with OCY’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention program promoted the National Day to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy in five local high schools.  The National Day brings to light the importance of preventing teen and unplanned pregnancy and parenting while creating dialogue with young people around consequences of sex.  The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Action Team’s school visits and efforts centered around the theme and slogan, “Your Future’s Bright, What Will It Be Like?” to help teens visualize their future and the goals that motivate them to “stay teen.”

Every year for the National day, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy releases an interactive online quiz that allows students to create virtual identities—yourself, a crush, and your best friend—that takes students through various scenarios that challenge them to think carefully about the choices involving sex.  This year, schools provided laptops for use during the Action Team’s presentations allowing students to take the quiz with their friends during lunch. Students also received pens and stickers for participating that feature messages concerning the consequences of sex.

In addition to the interactive quiz, an activity was prepared that promoted the event and encouraged student’s participation. Display boards included the slogan,  “Your Future’s Bright, What Will It Be Like?” along with a suitcase where students hanged mock boarding passes stating future goals and aspirations.  In addition, there were suitcases holding various items representing career choices for students—cooking materials, textbooks, sporting items, university materials, travel memorabilia, a high school diploma, and medical equipment.  The goal of the activity was to get students to reflect on their futures and the motivating reasons to make healthy decisions around sex.

This year’s event reached hundreds of students at Broadway High School, Turner Ashby High, Spotswood High, East Rockingham High, and Harrisonburg High.  Students shared openly their future goals and career aspirations.  It was inspiring to meet students with such ambitious goals that ranged from owning a bakery, becoming a pathologist, attending Longwood University to become a teacher, and antique car restoration.  It is important to remind, encourage, and admire the goals and dreams of teens.  Keeping our youth focused on their aspirations supports them in making healthy decisions, thus helping prevent teen and unplanned pregnancy.

To learn more about the National Day to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy or to take the quiz visit http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/national/default.aspx

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March 25-27 2013              

25th at East Rockingham High School

26th at Broadway High School

27th at Harrisonburg High School

Each spring the Office on Children and Youth organizes and hosts the annual Teen Health Fair.  Every year the fair rotates to different high schools in Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County Public Schools.  This year we’ll be at East Rockingham High School, Broadway High School, and Harrisonburg High School. The main objective of the fair is to increase student’s knowledge about health related issues and risky behaviors.  Over thirty local agencies and businesses set up in school gyms to provide information and resources on physical and mental health, recreation, career opportunities, and community resources. The fair is primarily for 9^th and 10^th graders but all students are encouraged to attend with approximately 1,500 students visiting the fair each year.  There are free giveaways and prizes, games, food, and a wealth of information about health, wellness and local resources.

The Teen Health Fair is a great example of community collaboration between local agencies and business with support from our local schools and administrators.  The fair also provides many of our local college students with an opportunity to participate in community outreach while getting to know Harrisonburg/Rockingham youth.  Thank you to everyone who attends and/or supports the fair each year!

Come and visit us this year at the Teen Health Fair!

For more information about the Teen Health Fair contact Brittany Bailey at baileybr@dukes.jmu.edu

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We are excited to announce that the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program is partnering with schools, agencies, and community-based organizations in Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, and Page County to bring a new youth development program to our area beginning February 2013. Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® is an evidence-based, best practice youth development program proven to increase grades, reduce course failure and suspension rates, and lower the risks of dropout and teen pregnancy. Facilitators of the program will lead teens through process of self-reflection, goal setting, and personal development and help create dialogue with students around sexuality and relationships. The program has a strong foundation in community service learning aimed at deepening students’ relationship and connection to their community and peers. We can’t wait to begin the program this February!

To get more information on the program and the impacts it’s had in other communities please visit http://wymancenter.org/nationalnetwork/top/

Want more information about the Teen Outreach Program? Contact Michael Maurice at mauricma@jmu.edu

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OCY’s 6^th Annual Handbag Designer Bingo was a great success this year! Over 150 supporters and community members came out to have fun and play Bingo in support of the OCY!  With your help, we raised over $6,000 for our local youth programs including the Reading Road Show-Gus Bus, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Youth Council, Youth Suicide Prevention, Migrant Education, and Smart Beginnings. With your participation we are able to increase childhood literacy, build strong youth leaders, and create needed statistics and analysis of youth issues in the area. The funds assist in preventing teen pregnancy, ensure migrant children have access to a good education, and increase the capacity of youth workers in preventing youth suicide. Bingo is one of our two big fundraising events of the year (the other being the Lucky Duck Race in the Spring) and the funds raised GREATLY enable our innovative programs to do new and exciting things.  Thank you to all of the sponsors and participants!  We hope to have an even bigger turn out next year and of course an array of beautiful Designer Handbags! See you next year!

Thank you to our generous sponsors!!

The Printing Express

                      Chick-fil-A;  Aramark; United Bank; Which Wich                                                                                                                                                  

             Layman, Diener & Borntrager Insurance Agency; Premier Shine Auto Detailing; Daily News Record; Gentry Photography; Katie Christenson

Susan Stewart, Marie Appleby, Willow Springs Spa, Windi Davis (Independent Thirty-One Consultant)

 Salad Creations, Wood Grill Buffet, McAlister’s Deli, Brown & Co. Hair Design, Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt, Smoothie King, The Cheese Shop

If you want to be added to our Designer Handbag Bingo contact list please email dudanv@jmu.edu.”

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Interested in meeting other young people in the area working to build a better world?

Come and learn what the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Youth Council is all about and have fun while you’re doing it! Meet other youth in the area working on youth issues, community service, and youth empowerment.
Games/Prizes/Food and more!
Youth Council is a Youth-led, adult-guided, youth group out of the Office and Children and Youth at JMU’s Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services.

Youth Council will meet weekly starting Oct 2nd from 6:00-8:00pm at Blue Ridge Hall (across from Costco)

join our event on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/events/476537129037857/

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Mark your calendars for October 6^th for the annual OCY Designer Handbag Bingo fundraiser – featuring COACH, Dooney & Bourke, and Vera Bradley bags! We have beautiful, elegant bags this year and you don’t want to miss it! Join us for a fun evening in support of local youth and children’s programs! All proceeds support direct service programs of the Office on Children and Youth.

Where: Weyers Cave Community Center

When: Saturday, October 6th. Doors open at 3:00, games begin at 5:00

How much: Pre-sale tickets = $10 (for 1 card);

Tickets at the door = $15 (for 1 card)

*Each person only needs one ticket. Additional bingo cards can be purchased at the door for $5 each or 5 cards for $20.

*Get your tickets early for special pre-sale only games and door prizes!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Major Event Sponsor – The Printing Express

The Daily News Record

United Bank

Chick-fil-A

LD&B Insurance

Call 540-568-5814 or email Natalie Duda at dudanv@jmu.edu for more information and to order tickets today. Interested in sponsoring a bag or the event? Contact Natalie.

Join our event on Facebook, or like our page to receive Bingo and OCY updates!

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We wanted to send out a big Thank-You to everyone who helped make this year’s Lucky Duck Race a huge success! We sold over 1,700 ducks (the most ever!) and raised over $7000 to support OCY programs! Congratulations to the winners of the Duck Race:

1st Place: Meris Mandernach (#403)

2nd Place: Steve Manning (#1631)

3rd Place: Susannah Lepley (#1506)

And also a big congratulations to the winners of OCY’s Inner-Office Competition! Kim Hartzler-Weakley sold 230 tickets, Jennifer Rea sold 212 tickets, and Kim Ward sold 195 tickets. Way to go! Now we just have to figure out an outfit for Josh Diamond to wear one day to the office. Any suggestions?

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Mark your calendars for Saturday March 26th at 4:00! We will be having our 3rd 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 an 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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New logitudinal youth data survey powerpoints (2000-2009) are now available under the 2009 Youth Data Survey tab!  We hope this multi-year comparison is helpful to you!

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