Sanford News

Sanford News
Thursday, December 2005

Students Excel at Leadership Conference

SANFORD – The goal of the annual Maine Youth Action Network Peer Leadership Conference is to help students network, develop leadership skills, and learn about healthier living and lifestyles. But for some of the student leaders in Sanford, the Conference represented the culmination of months of hard work.

Goodall Hospital’s Partners for Healthier Communities (PHC) helped to assemble a diverse team of students to plan this year’s Conference. More than 400 teens from around the state attended the event, which was held late last month in Bar Harbor.

“Those who were involved from Sanford came from The Y Leaders Club, which is a partnership between the YMCA and Partners for Healthier Communities,” said Patricia Gulnac, youth advocacy coordinator and project assistant for PHC. “Students who were involved at the Conference came from schools, churches, YMCAs and other Healthy Maine Partnership groups. Our kids really put a lot of effort into making the Conference a success.”

The Conference capped five months of planning and many miles of travel for those who were involved. The youth planning team began meeting in June and participated in four statewide planning sessions. Local meetings took place weekly to keep pace with the many things that needed to be accomplished.

Sanford High senior Jillian Martins wrote the opening skit and performed it with the seven other members of the Sanford contingent – Derek Sherman, Holly Bianchi, Jackie Dianni, Paul Hammerie, Heidi Hammerle, A.J. McCarn and Jason Parnham. Together, this group worked on every aspect of the Conference from the colors and designs of the T-shirts to the program topics. The Sanford team said that Randy Judkins’ keynote speech, “Youth Have Power – Keep it Alive,” was inspirational. Other workshops involved anti-tobacco messaging, healthy eating, substance abuse, sexual health, organizing for change and mental health.

PHC Project Coordinator Tony Wild presented at the Conference, while Martins spoke about the Kids Not on Tobacco (KNOT) group’s experience in passing a resolution for smoke-free parks in Sanford.

The Leaders Club also led a “Miles of Change” fund-raiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina, netting $350 for the teens living in the town of Pass Christian.

Near the Conference’s conclusion, two members of the group received special awards. Nominated by their advisors, McCarn and Martins received recognition for their positive attitude and commitment to the Conference’s success.

“All of our kids did a great job with this Conference,” Gulnac said. “Jillian and AJ went above and beyond in many cases and were truly deserving of this recognition.”