James Madison University art students are centering their camera focus on five IIHHS programs to be shown in the exhibit featured in the Prism Gallery.  The exhibit highlights a selection of the many services and programs IIHHS provides for the people of Harrisonburg/Rockingham County. IIHHS allows for JMU students to play a contributing role in giving back to the community, and in return JMU students gain valuable insights and formidable skills which become transferable to careers after graduation and beyond. These services and experiences will be captured by photos taken by Art History students in the program Digital Photography in the School of Art and Design.  The Office on Children and Youth’s programs, the Reading Road Show/Gus Bus and Youth Council were two of the five programs chosen to be featured in the exhibit!

The exhibit will be held from February 2, 2012- March 2, 2012 in the Prism Gallery on James Madison University’s campus.

The official reception for the exhibit is Friday, February 24, 2012 from 4:30p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  The reception will also include refreshments. So mark your calendars for February 24^th to stop by the reception to see in an artistic forum the wonderful work the programs at IIHHS do for the community!

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James Madison University organizations, Alpha Phi Omega, Gamma Sigma Sigma, and University Program Board (UPB) are sponsoring a winter weather donation drive for the month of February. All donations will be going to Children in Harrisonburg and OCY’s Reading Road Show/Gus Bus program.

They are collecting coats, socks, gloves, hats and shoes. You can find donation boxes in Warren Hall, Grafton-Stovall Theatre, Memorial Hall, and the ISAT building on JMU’s campus.

If you have further questions, e-mail:  EtaDeltaService@gmail.com or jmuaposervice@gmail.com

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Today’s teens live in a world where social media influences have changed the way they communicate with their friends, families, and dating partners. With the introduction of social media outlets such as Facebook and the ever increasing use of texting as a form of interpersonal communication, teens have 24/7 access to the people in their lives. In response to the technological surge, there has been an increase of awareness of teens in abusive dating relationships (i.e. physical, sexual, emotional/verbal, and digital). It is important for educators, parents, and young people to educate ourselves on the devastating statistics that surround teen dating violence, to become aware of the warning signs of teen dating violence, and to help prevent teen dating violence.

FACTS

-Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.  (loveisrespect.org)

-Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence—almost triple the national average. (loveisrespect.org)

-54% of parents admit they’ve not spoken to their child about dating violence (Do not be a part of that 54%). (clotheslineproject.org)

- 20% of surveyed male students report witnessing someone they go to high school with physically hit a person they were dating. (clotheslineproject.org)

In response to the increase in teen abusive dating relationships, Congress has dedicated the entire month of February as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

According to teendvmonth.org, “For years, young people across the nation have organized to put a stop to dating abuse. With their adult allies, they achieved a major victory in 2005 when the importance of addressing teen dating abuse was highlighted in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

The following year, Congress followed the lead of dozens of national, state and local organizations in sounding the call to end dating abuse. Both Chambers declared the first full week in February “National Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Week.” In 2010, Congress began dedicating the entire month of February to teen dating violence awareness and prevention.

Now in its third year, Teen DV Month is celebrated by leaders in government, student bodies, schools, youth service providers, community-based organizations, parents and more.”

OCY’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention program (TPP) has focused on this issue and continues to develop new program materials for middle school students addressing teen dating relationships, focusing on educating young people about relationships, promoting healthy teen dating relationships, and preventing the cycle of abuse. The activities engage the students in discussion, educating them on physical, emotional/verbal, sexual, and digital abuse. It is important to focus attention on middle school aged children because they are at a point in their young, adolescent lives where dating is becoming the norm of “being a teenager”. In order to successfully prevent the dangers of abuse, educators and parents need to begin the conversation before it is too late.

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, listed below are some information rich resources about teen dating violence:

Loveisrespect.org

Clotheslineproject.org

Thatsnotcool.com

Loveisnotabuse.org

Redflagcampaign.org

Athinline.org

Breakthecycle.org

Written by Carrie Robinson

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The Office on Children and Youth would like to recognize and thank the RMH Foundation for their generous donation of $3,000, which will surely help make this year’s Teen Health Fair an educational success! The Teen Health Fair is all about providing information to teens regarding their health in such a way that promotes their inquiry on the topics, rather than rote memorization. This method allows students to better retain vital information, as well as help spark their interest to learn more about healthy lifestyles in general. Local agencies and organizations provide interactive booths and games covering topics that range from proper hand-washing to the risks of having sex as a teenager, dating abuse, the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, and even nutrition.

The Office on Children and Youth will be hosting its 14^th Annual Teen Health Fair on April 10, 2012 at Turner Ashby High School and on April 11, 2012 at Spotswood High School and will have interactive workshops, exhibits, and a focus on health careers.

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A look into how teen pregnancy affects the Harrisonburg-Rockingham community and what local organizations are doing to create better outcomes for our youth.

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OCY would like to recognize and thank RR Donnelley and the Book Manufacturers’ Institute Inc. for a generous $1,000 donation to the Reading Road Show – Gus Bus! We appreciate your support of this great literacy program.

Gary Calleo, VPM at RR Donnelley Harrisonburg presents the Reading Road Show – Gus Bus with a $1,000 check from the Book Manufacturers’ Institute Inc. Special Projects Grant.

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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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The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Youth Council is fundraising during the month of May and we would appreciate any and all of your support! Here are the opportunities:

Thursday, May 12th: Cold Stone Creamery of Harrisonburg, 5:00-9:00pm

Youth Council students and leaders will be behind the counter, helping to make your ice cream and, yes, singing! Stop in for a nice cold treat!

Tuesday, May 17th: Chick-fil-A Spirit Night, 5:00-9:00pm

Dine-in at Chick-fil-A to support Youth Council! You can also take  a spin on the “Spinning Wheel” to win coupons and prizes!

Saturday-Sunday, May 21-22nd: Car Wash, Exxon at Rt. 42 and Mt. Clinton Pike

Come and get your cars washed buy Youth Council students! Tickets will be sold in advance for $5 each or you can give a donation during the two days of the car wash. You can get your tickets ahead of time by calling Michael Maurice at (540) 568-6007.

Car Wash Hours:

Saturday, May 21^st: 9:00am-3:00pm

Sunday, May 22^nd: 9:00am-12:00pm

We really hope you can make it to any or all of these fundraising events! Your support will allow the Youth Council to continue its community service and youth leadership devlopment activities throughout Harrisonburg-Rockingham.

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Tomorrow is the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.  The purpose of this day is to have teens realize the importance of avoiding early and unwanted pregnancy and parenthood through participating online through an interactive quiz and game. 

Teens are asked to go to www.StayTeen.org to participate in the activities and to challenge themselves to think about the consequences of being “in the moment.”  The message of this day and its activities are straight forward: Sex has consequences. 

The website www.StayTeen.org was created to help teens learn more about teen pregnancy and parenting.  “The goal of Stay Teen is to encourage you to enjoy your teen years and avoid the responsibilities that come with too-early pregnancy and parenting.”  It gives teenagers information broken down into different sections to help them understand, learn, and relate to the topic.  The sections the website has are Stay Informed, Features, Stay Tuned, Videos, and Fun and Games. 

The National Day Quiz will be animated for the first time this year.  Young people will also be able to play a new, online game, Invasion of the Myth Monsters, that challenges them to help prevent the spread of myths and untruths about sex, contraception, and pregnancy.   Last year, over half a million teens took the National Day Quiz and since 2002, nearly 4.2 million teenagers have taken it.

Teen pregnancy is on the decline.  Getting out there and reaching out to teenagers to get them to think about the effects are the keys to success.  Programs such as the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program were created to do just that.  The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program of the Office on Children and Youth goes to local middle and high schools to get the message out to students in Harrisonburg-Rockingham County area.

The mission of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPP) is being addressed through various educational programs and public awareness campaigns established through collaborative efforts between TPP, youth-serving community agencies, public and private school systems, faith communities, colleges and universities, and corporations within the community. 

The programs use three programs to reach out to students, Visions of You, Healthy Choices Presentations, and Choose Respect.  These programs get students thinking about the future and the possible consequences of their actions. 

To find more information about preventing teen pregnancy and parenthood go to www.thenationalcampaign.org.  To get more information on local efforts go to www.findyoureason.org .

Written by Courtney Allen and Katlyn Stiedle

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1. Set time aside everyday to read to your children.
2. Surround your children with an ample amount of reading material.
3. Have time to gather your family and create reading time.
4. Have a wide variety of reading material on hand for your children.
5. Encourage the development of regular library visits.
6. Monitor your child’s reading progress.
7. Keep an eye out for reading problems and take steps to improve them.
8. Finding problems in your child’s reading skills early is important their future reading development.
9. Use reading aids if necessary (ie: computer programs and books on tape).
10.  Last but not least show enthusiasm and excitement for your child’s reading accomplishments.

Compiled by Mary Kim

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