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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Leading up to the holiday season Youth Council expressed a desire to work with the homeless. This desire is what lead to their last project: joining in service at Our Community Place’s weekly community meal.

Dulce and Derrick

OCP’s community meal is not just a meal “for” the homeless, but a meal where all are encouraged and welcome to participate and eat. Youth Council enjoyed a meal with members of the homeless community and others simply wanting to dine in company. After everyone finished their meal YC helped clear tables then washed and put away dishes. After cleanup, Youth Council learned wreath and craft making. The wreaths made are sold at the farmers market with profits being used to fund the work of OCP.

Making crafts!

Before eating, everyone contributing to the meal joined hands and shared something for which they were thankful. Responses varied, but it was clear that warmth, togetherness, and heart were the glue that created the meal and that friendship and the goodness of young people working with others can nourish body and soul. The service project this holiday season was a special one that left all feeling a little more connected and a little more humble.

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Last Saturday on November 17^th, Youth Council members came together to volunteer at the New Community Project House. The New Community Project is an organization that works to enhance the Harrisonburg community and environment by building peaceful community relations while working with the earth to establish a non-violent relationship with our food, communities, and environment.

YC Members after a day of volunteering at NCP

The Youth Council helped further along the New Community Project’s efforts by cutting wood, cleaning out shrubs and old trees from around the property, and helping prepare the house for the next phase of construction. The New Community Project house, once completed will house individuals learning from NCP’s methods as well as community members trying to get back on their feet or are recovering from addiction. Those living in the large house located on South Main St. will learn skills of self-reliance and sustainable urban food production

While there, YC members learned techniques for living in harmony with the earth and for building a more connected community. Thank you Youth Council for your hard work at NCP and for this great collaboration. For info on Youth Council contact Josh Diamond and diamonjn@jmu.edu

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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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In October 2010, Youth Council conducted an environmental scan to investigate how much access youth had to alcohol as well as how alcohol is marketed to youth. Youth Council members headed out into different parts of the community armed with FlipCams to record what they found and capture their thoughts. The final project was included in an educational video on underage drinking that will be used throughout the state to educate youth and parents about the dangerous affects alcohol can have on adolescent development. The documentary was produced by the Strong Families/Great Youth Coalition and WHSV-TV3.

Enjoy the video!

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