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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Saturday, April 13^th, 2013 at 4:00pm, Masanutten WaterPark

We are excited to announce this year’s Lucky Duck Race Fundraiser, a fun and easy way to support the programming and work of OCY. How it works: Buy a lucky Duck ticket, get $15 dollars off your Masanutten WaterPark general admission and a chance to win huge prizes, including a chance at $25,000!! Each ticket you purchase corresponds with a rubber Lucky Duck that will be sent down the Lazy River at Masanutten WaterPark. The first three Lucky Ducks to cross the finish line win great prizes. Bring the family the day of the event to enjoy your WaterPark discount, but there is no need to be present to win.

Get your tickets soon!!! To purchase a ticket or to volunteer to sell tickets contact Jennifer Rea at reajl@jmu.edu or 540-568-2559.

$5 for a Duck                  $12 for a family of 3            $24 for a flock of 6

1^st and 2^nd place ducks: 3 day/ 2 Night Stay at Masanutten Resort plus WaterPark tickets for 4, OR $500 cash.

3^rd place duck:: $250 cash

 And a chance at $25,000! The first ten ducks that cross the finish line will be entered into an automated online system to match a preselected duck number and win $25,000.  A $25,000 winner is not guaranteed.

By purchasing a lucky duck ticket, you are supporting important programs like:

The Reading Road Show – Gus Bus:  a mobile literacy program and bus that provides an opportunity for children and their families to share story time, participate in a book exchange program, and build literacy skills in low-income communities.

The Migrant Education Program: supports and provides supplemental educational opportunities and social services for highly mobile migrant children.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention: Provides positive youth development in middle and high schools in Harrisonburg, Page and Rockingham to prevent risky behaviors amongst our community’s youth.

Harrisonburg/Rockingham Youth Council: A youth-led community service group that empowers area youth to make healthy decisions and create a difference in their community.

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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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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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Mark your calendars for December 10th. It’s time again for the annual OCY Designer Handbag Bingo fundraiser – featuring COACH, Dooney & Bourke, and Vera Bradley bags! We have awesome bags this year … you don’t want to miss it! Specific details are below. We hope you can join us for a fun evening! All proceeds will go towards supporting our direct service programs.

Where: Weyers Cave Community Center

When: Saturday December 10th. Doors open at 3:00 and games start at 5:00

How much: Pre-sale tickets = $10 (for 1 card); Tickets at the door = $15 (for 1 card)

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

**Special pre-sale only games and door prizes!

Call (540) 568-2559 or email reajl@jmu.edu for more information and to order tickets today.

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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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Thursday, September 16th
5:30-7:30
Hillandale Park, Shelter #10

Click here for more information or here for a PDF poster!

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Benefiting the Office on Children and Youth

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