Igniting the Spark Conference March 17 in Whitefield

Above, Fiddler Extraordinaire, Patrick Ross, provided many "art moments" for particpants during the Conference. Here he's playing as people arrived and registerd.

Igniting the Spark; Integrating the Arts and Creativity into Youth Programming was a huge success on March 17, 2010 reaching 37 participants. From educators to youth program staff, to poets and musicians, the full day of activities provided hands-on techniques to particpants on how to involve young people and support creativity.

Participants in Cartooning Workshop above.

To the right, the Movement Workshop by Gretchen Berg got everyone expressing themselves in slow motion.

Supported by the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund, the conference workshops included learning how to cartoon and produce cartoons, movement and engaging young people in their autobiographies and story scripts for individuals and groups. Many of the participants cartoons have been posted on Marak Bennett's blog for all to see and enjoy. A link to his blog is at www.marekbennett.com/comicsworkshop/2010/03/aannh-igniting-the-spark-conference/comment-page-1/#comment-274

The conference was a partnership between North Country Health Consortium and the Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire.

Mentoring Volunteer Celebration Dinner

On March 1st, over 50 volunteer adult mentors for youth gathered at the Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa to be honored for their dedication and committment to youth in the North Country. Celebrants had a chance to meet each other and enjoy a meal together. Rebecca Rule, well known NH storyteller was also there to lighten the mood and share some of the wonderful stories that she has heard for many years.

After dinner mentoring organizations had an opportunty to award their volunteers. The Youth Alternatives Court Diversion Program, NFI-Davenport, Lifebridges, Girl Scouts and the Youth Leadership Project all had a chance to say thank you.

Mentors and Understanding Youth Development

How many of us remember what it was like to be a teen?

Probably many of us do. It sometimes felt that we thought and acted very differently than adults. And of course, we did. Researchers have found that human beings go through many developmental stages during our lives.

In cognitive development we change the way we think dramatically from infancy through our toddlerhood to the teen years and beyond. In other words children don't think like an adult does (or at least most adults!)

When working with youth as a mentor it's important to understand these stages and to work with them so that young people can develop and thrive.

The Teen Institute, a state-wide, nationally celebrated organization that works with youth, will be hosted by the North Country Coalitions to provide a FREE workshop on September 17th at the Mt. View Grand Hotel and Spa in Whitefield, NH to present on how we can "Celebrate Youth and Their Powere to Create Change!" While here the Teen Institute will review these stages of development as well as how to engage youth in activiites.

By the way, the youth in the photot above are in a team of Whitefield students called the "Wilderness Explorers" who climb Mt. Washington to the very top of the mountain and carried a banner on smoking prevention. Way to go kids! Not only can you create change but so can those adults who work with you as mentors.

For more information on the FREE workshop contact me, Valerie Herres at vherres@nchcnh.org or give me a call at 837-2519.

Coos County Coalition Strategic Plan Integrates Juvenile Justice Mentoring Initiative

The Coos County Coalition held its strategic planning day retreat on Thusday, August 13th in Lancaster with 20 members present. Coalition members prioritized projects, included the Juvenile Justice Mentoring Project into the plan and developed some exciting intiatives for the next year. Stay tuned!Photo above from left to right, Dave Graham from Northern Human Services, Donna Cummings from RESPONSE to Sexual and Domestic Violence, Cam Brown, Investigator with the NH Liquor Commission and Jan Millis, Director of the Berlin-Gorham After School Program working together to shape their ideas to share with others at the strategic planning day.

Environment Has an Impact on Youth Behavior

You can see by the photo in this posting that what is in our environment sends a message to young people. This photo shows the kind of messages we send to them around alcohol use - it's fun - it's ok to drink and race or bike - and everyone's doing this! In fact it's a big business. These are not very helpful messages.

One of the important aspects of a stragegic plan that is hoping to change youth behaviors must begin to look at these messages and figure out how communities, shcools and providers can sell healthier imges to our youth both around alcohol use and high risk, law breaking behaviors. Many times substance abuse and law breaking go together.

As the Juvenile Justice Project moves forward towards a goal of reducing court petitions for youth working to change the environment and messages youth receive are important.

Here are some helpful messages that reduce risk taking:

• Adult(s) care about you and your well being and you are special to at least one adult in your life. (Mentoring)
• There are people who are working together to make your life and the life in your community better. (Coalition Building)
• It's better not to break the law but rather to live a healthy lifestyle. (Community Support Programs)
• Abusing substances can lead to breaking the law by causing you to act in harmful ways and/or not consider the consequences of what you do. (Education)
• There will be consequences to everything you do so learn about consequences and avoid those choices that lead to negative consequences. (Strong enforcement of the law)
• People in your community care enough about you to get together and work with you and your parents on helping you make amends for what wrong doing occured. (Court Diversion)

These are some of the "good' messages the JJP wants to send.

4-H Camp in Milan on a Sunny Day

Some things stay the same.

Photos include the inside of a cabin at the 4-H Camp in Milan; a youth playing ball and the dinning room all shiny and new.

Summer camping and out of school activities are important for young people. Camp counselors provide an important role model that makes a difference in lives.

Everyone needs some "green time" outdoors. It's a wonderful way to spend part of the summer.

Strategic Planning Day A Success

Members of the Juvenile Justice Project met on July 27th at the 4-H Camp in Milan to review the group's Strategic Plan. After a successful meeting, members convened outside to have a tour of the facility by Larry Barker, UNH Cooperative Extension Youth Educator. Elaine Davis, Tom Austin, Tami Hartley, Rich Sarette and Kristi Hannigan listen in.