Westshore Young Leaders enjoy summer fun at youth conference

Westshore Young Leaders, Viktoria Paulic (RRHS) and Liz McIlwee (LHS) and School Prevention Specialist Noreen Kyle at the "Arcade Unlimited" fun event during Y2Y conference.

During the last week of June at Capital University in Bexley, over 400 teens were swarming from all over Ohio and around the country including Washington, D.C., and Georgia. Viktoria Paulic, a freshman at Rocky River High School, and Liz McIlwee, a senior at Lakewood High School – both members of the Westshore Young Leaders Network – attended the Y2Y International Conference. Y2Y's motto is "believing in the power of youth and the drug-free choice."

This year’s conference theme of "Limitless" equipped the teens and adults who work with them to the limitless potential to make positive change occur. This change can be within themselves, in their schools and their communities. Participants experienced small group family sessions, team-building challenges and limitless workshops over four days.

“Social Media: How to Send a Message that Sticks!", "The Truth about Marijuana," "Teen Dating Abuse" and "Let's Lead" were just a few of the extreme skill workshops. Attendees were engaged in youth-led workshops such as "Loving Every Part of You," "Be Beyond Bullying" and "Chill without a Pill."

"Extreme funness" was on the agenda every evening as teens and adults took part in the "Splash Bash," "Now Do the Harlem Shake" and "Arcade Unlimited" fun events! Positive notes called "warm fuzzies" were taped to a massive wall space to show appreciation to one another at the conference. It was breathtaking to see all the names on the notes displayed! The conference ended with everyone making a circle, joining hands and closing with a humungous group hug!

New and everlasting friendships were made at the 2013 Y2Y Conference as well as preparing our youth to go back to their communities to act on making a positive difference for a alcohol/drug free lifestyle.