Youth Summit on Healthy Behaviors teaches students how to make lifestyle choices
The 12th annual Youth Summit on Healthy Behaviors made an impact on students attending the three-day event sponsored by The Rapides Foundation, particularly Cassi LaCaze.
“The two of the three classes I’ve taken so far have been really great,” said the 11th grader from Oak Hill High School.
The Youth Summit on Healthy Behaviors is for students and teachers who participate in The Rapides Foundation Healthy Behavior School Districts Partnership Grant, said Dallas Russell, program officer for The Rapides Foundation’s Healthy Behaviors Initiative.
More than 200 junior high and high school students from 55 schools in an eight-parish area attended each day at the Country Inn & Suites by Raddison in Pineville.
“Most of the students are involved in their Youth Health Advocate clubs at schools," Russell said. "Part of their responsibilities of being in a club is to implement three events during the school year. Part of each session is action planning to go back and implement those events. So, for example, Take Down Tobacco Day, they might be planning activities for the whole school.”
They also might plan activities for National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, set in 2024 for March 18-24.
The keynote speaker was K-Lynn McKey, from the School of Kinesiology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Then the students attended sessions focused on Healthy Eating and Active Living, Tabacco Prevention and Control and Substance and Alcohol Misuse Prevention.
Lacaze said the session on Substance and Alcohol Misuse Prevention was very well put together and helped students understand the topic.
Dominque Teasley and Jarvis Fountaine shared stories about their experiences with substance abuse and the dangers that come with it. They felt students were receptive to their message.
“We talked to them about the dangers of substance abuse," Teasley said. "We told them our stories, our experience with substance use and ways to prevent substance use.”
They also talked about stigma associated with substance use and how they have certain settings and safe places where they can have healthy conversations about prevention, substance use or mental health, Fountaine said.
“We talked to them about what led and started our substance misuse,” he said.
“A lot of times kids don’t see themselves as becoming an addict, but they’ll use that information or education you give them to try and help someone else,” Teasley said.
This is especially true for those who have substance use in their family or community. They’ll be focused on figuring out ways to help.
They also spoke about the causes and effects of substance use and, in the end, they faced some consequences, Fountaine said.
But they also spoke about what can lead someone to substance abuse, which can include abandonment, trauma and certain family dynamics, he said.
On the lighter note, Lacaze found the Healthy Eating and Active Living session with Xavier Barrreda and LaDonte Lots, the team from JiggAerobics, to be lots of fun and interactive. They made healthy living plans for their schools and shared them in front of the whole class.
The healthy living plan Lacaze and her group from Oak Hill came up with was an all-day field day.
“I think that’s going to make a huge impact on our school," she said. "Our school is a very active school. We’re little, we’re a small school, so most everybody plays sports. So I feel like it’s going to be very competitive and fun.”
This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Youth Summit on Healthy Behaviors teaches students lifestyle choices
