Eight Looks GREAT For The Westshore Young Leaders Network
January 2018 is the 8th year the Westshore Young Leaders Network students have been serving the six-western suburbs (Bay Village, Fairview Park, Lakewood, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Westlake) as communities united together for healthy living. Established in 2010 through the support of the Westshore Council of Governments and the Westshore Enforcement Bureau the group has grown its student and adult membership to foster young leaders who promote healthy, safe drug-free and addiction free lifestyle choices.
A snapshot of the recent months include the September Leadership Training Conference at the Westlake Recreation Center. Ninety middle and high school students spent the day fine tuning their best asset—themselves-- under the direction of the Effective Leadership Academy (www. effectivela.org)
November’s teen meeting hosted Trooper Patrick Reagan and Trooper Alejandro Giraldo from the Ohio State Patrol Brook Park Station. Trooper’s Reagan and Giraldo spoke to the students about the dangers of distracted driving, the importance of seat-belts, drug and alcohol facts and entertained many student questions. Including “What was the strangest thing you had to remove from the highway while on patrol?” The crowd was amazed to discover “a toilet” was the answer!
December was double the fun for our young leaders. The high school young leaders partnered with Ohio SADD (Student’s Against Destructive Decisions) and the Cleveland Cavaliers to facilitate the Annual SADD Seminar at the Q. Resource tables and keynote speaker Jim Basketball Jones reached five hundred North East Ohio high school students on the importance of Three Pointers for Life: Personal Development (Character Education). (http://www.jimbasketballjones.com) Bringing home a Cavs victory over the Sacramento Kings was icing on the cake!
The end of 2017 found the young leaders meeting at the Bay Presbyterian Food Pantry. Students learned about the needs and services provided by the Food Pantry. As part of a community service project the WYLN youth unpacked and assembled paper products, personal items and cleaning supplies for the Bay Village Holiday Caring & Sharing venture.
The Westshore Young Leaders Network is open to all middle and high school students from the six western suburbs. Check out our website: www.westshoreyoungleaders.org to learn about our projects, events, meeting dates and times.
PLEASE NOTE: FOR THE REST OF 2018 OUR WYLN TEEN MEETINGS WILL BE HELD AT BAY WAY CABIN, 27400 Wolf Rd, Bay Village, OH 44140
Noreen Kyle
School Prevention and Education Specialist for the Westshore Enforcement Bureau. The Westshore Young Leaders Network is dedicated to implementing strategies aimed at preventing and reducing youth substance use while encouraging healthy life choices in the Westshore Communities.