- Berkshire District Attorney Paul J. Caccaviello
PITTSFIELD — The annual STRIVE (Students Teaching Respect Integrity Values and Equality) Youth Leadership Conference was hosted by the District Attorney’s Office Youth Advisory Board on Thursday, April 12. Nineteen public and private Berkshire County middle schools sent students to the Berkshire Plaza in Pittsfield to participate.
The Berkshire District Attorney’s Youth Advisory Board, created in 2008, engages high school students to lend their voices and ideas to youth focused initiatives in order to strengthen the prevention message and develop deeper connection with the students being served.
The Board serves as a vehicle to enable the Office to better address the critical risk factors affecting youth across Berkshire County and has developed and administered several prevention projects tailored to support students in making positive decisions.
The first STRIVE Youth Leadership Conference was hosted by the 2010 – 2011 Board, which had the idea to bring middle school students from all over Berkshire county to discuss teen social issues. The conference proved to be challenging and moving not only for the 8th grade attendees but also for the Youth Advisory Board members who planned the day. The profound impact of the speakers along with the overwhelming positive feedback from schools was the catalyst that drove the Board to make this conference a top priority for its yearly agenda.
Members work together throughout the year, crafting the agenda, choosing topics, and identifying speakers and are responsible for the over-all planning and administration of the conference. Featured presentations at this year’s conference were:
- Embracing Diversity – Keynote address presented by Emma Lenski, a Berkshire County native young adult in recovery.
- Dynamic Influence – Using magic and illusions to educate students on social media dangers, what to look for, and how to post responsibly. Presented by Robert Hackenson.
- Five Simple Guidelines – Rebecca White shared her personal story of surviving a drunk driving crash that killed her mother and her friend and offered students five keys to living life with courage and positivity.
- A World of Opportunities Awaits You – Interactive game and discussion led by the District Attorney’s Youth Advisory Board on navigating the transition from middle school to high school.
- Managing Stress Through Music and Movement – Berkshire Pulse leads workshop on healthy ways to manage stress.
- Running on E – The Improbable Players of Watertown, Massachusetts, performed educational theater for substance abuse prevention featuring scenes dealing with drug use and addiction.
- Student Reflections – Members of the Youth Advisory Board led an interactive discussion with students on the powerful messages of the day.
The day not only provided critical prevention information but also offered students tools to support positive behavior and build resiliency.
Members of the 2017 - 2018 Youth Advisory Board: Raegan Phillips and Harrison Todd, BART Charter Public School; Mitchell Anderson, Drury High School; Emily Cruz and John Krol, Hoosac Valley High School; Ashley Barnes and Will Consolati, Lee Middle & High School; Abigail Schilling and Noah Hochfelder, Lenox Memorial Middle & High School; Natalie Diesz and Emma Marino, McCann Technical School; Trudy Fadding and Merriam Lrhazi, Miss Hall's School; Mae Whaley and Ben Zoeller, Monument Mt. Regional High School; Anna Dupont and Donovan Sawyer, Mt. Everett Regional School; Daniel Buell and Kelly Egan, Mt. Greylock Regional High School; Olivia Nda and Emily Taylor, Pittsfield High School; Joannda Loftus, Taconic High School; and Hannah Royane and Andrew Sondrini, Wahconah Regional High School.