BURNETT COUNTY -- Last week, at the Burnett County Board Meeting, the newest youth prevention coalition, YOBC (Youth of Burnett County), was announced by Halle Pardun and Charlie Slater, YOBC co-leaders. They explained that YOBC is a volunteer organization consisting of 12 sectors (healthcare, law enforcement, tribal agencies, schools, businesses, etc) aiming to impact youth in Burnett County, specifically prevention efforts focused on mental health, alcohol & drug use, tobacco/vaping use.
YOBC is only 90 days old, and the group has already started making an impact with the schools. “The school districts, specifically the school counselors, are valuable partners to really make a change in the lives of our youth”, said Slater, “so far we have been focusing our efforts on the schools since the youth spend most of their time at school”.
In April 2022, just before the end of the school year, YOBC and the school districts partnered together to hire a prevention speaker, Terrance Talley. Terrance’s message was enthusiastically received by students, as well as staff, and students have requested Terrance’s return every year. So, YOBC is currently planning to have Terrance back in the Spring of 2023 and another speaker in September of 2022 for all three school districts in Burnett County.
Ultimately, through this collaboration and the support of our community, YOBC hopes to instill a positive message to build up our youth’s self-esteem for them to be able to resist against negative peer pressure and live a successful life supportive of safe choices free of drugs and other substances.
Last Update: Jul 27, 2022 10:19 am CDT
