The Youth Action Council’s orientation session on February 12 was the first meeting of the group since the COVID pandemic began. An organization for Dorchester County students in Grades 6-12 who maintain at least a 2.0 GPA, the YAC is dedicated to promoting positive youth behaviors through awareness of substance use, bullying, and harmful relationships. The goal is to help the community see its young people in a better light and to guide those youths in supporting their peers.
“That’s what the Youth Action Council is about,” said advisor Meisha Woolford. “Actually bringing the kids together so that they can promote better health outcomes amongst each other.”
Woolford meets with the young members at the Dorchester County Health Department twice a month for education sessions about the aforementioned issues as well as such things as smoking and vaping. They discuss parent-child and romantic relationships, domestic and workplace violence, and sexual harassment. But, beyond the education piece, there is the opportunity for the students to develop leadership skills. They steer the discussions themselves while the adults observe and keep the group on task.
“That’s actually my favorite piece of it,” said Woolford, “because we want youth to know they have a place where they can come, be heard, use their voice, and use their leadership. We are not telling them what to do here.”
That space to lead includes managing community projects, campaigns, and group activities. The student members have expressed an interest in such creative endeavors as cooking and painting. And they’ll work on media skills by going to the local radio station to create their own show.
The community projects will be outreach events to which the members will invite their fellow teens. For example, they recently hosted “All Wrapped Up In Love,” where they educated their peers about healthy relationships, puberty, and sex through exhibits, games, and activities. In March, they’re doing “Sip and Paint,” for which an artist will provide the sketch that the students will paint while enjoying some punch. April will have a cosplay event, May will be devoted to cooking activities, and June will be the time for the anti-bullying campaign.
Several YAC members have previously expressed their discomfort in youth settings because of bullying, so the group is partnering with DCPS to address the issue head-on. With the schools’ permission, the members will go in and present messages to uplift their peers who feel put-upon. Woolford believes the project has the potential to make a great impact on students.
“A lot of these activities and campaigns that we want to move forward with will involve some school stuff because that’s where they spend a lot of their time,” she said.
Something else the kids are concerned about is not getting to do enough things with their parents. Therefore, the YAC is going to be developing some activities where they can involve the grown-ups, such as an outdoor event they’ll be doing in April.
“We have to have our hands in youth programs, and we have to get parents back into being a part of it to really see that positive outcome,” said Woolford. “So, we’re creating more parent-teen activities where they can do this together.”
An added bonus to serving their peers and community is that the YAC members can earn service learning hours, which helps them meet graduation requirements. Currently, there are 19 students involved in the Youth Action Council, but there is room for more, so Woolford invites other interested young people to contact them at [email protected] or 410-901-8129.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.