Youth Leadership Training Series

Overview of Focus:

Every year Youth Council selects a theme which guides our civic actions. In a September interview with the Ithaca Times, Kelvin Kim, Youth Council’s Chairperson, announced, “Our main focus this year is going to be on youth health. So, most of our activities will revolve around healthy living for youth, and also promoting the idea that healthy citizens make for a healthy community.” Youth Council members debated several possible themes for the year but decided on health due to its universal impact and importance in all aspects of life. “Health goes beyond being active and what we choose to put in our bodies. To create a community that fosters health - physical, emotional and mental - there not only needs to be fun ways to be active, lessons in healthy cooking and alcohol and drug awareness, there also needs to be outlets for stress, opportunities for belonging and arenas to express thoughts and opinions.”

Anti-Drug Poster Competition for Elementary School Students:

As a part of its focus on healthy choices, Ithaca Youth Council will be holding a poster contest in Ithaca City School District elementary schools to promote drug and alcohol awareness. The contest will encourage students to create a slogan and art that helps spread an anti-drug message. Winners will have their posters put up around Ithaca and receive a gift certificate to a local arts and crafts store. IYC encourages all children to make a poster and to always say no to drugs and alcohol. The contest will run through December 22.

IYC hosts Buddy Runs to encourage exercise and support Marathon Miles:

In accordance with Ithaca Youth Council’s main focus of the year to promote healthy youth, the Council will be hosting Buddy Runs in partnership with Marathon Miles. Marathon Miles is an program that encourages youth, ages 5-14, to run 26.2 miles over 12 weeks with the last mile being finished at the Ithaca Festival Mile on June 2nd. Youth who participate will earn prizes depending on how many miles they complete. To further incentivize youth participation at the runs and encourage the youths to complete all 26.2 miles, Ithaca Youth Council has organized multiple Buddy Run events. Each Buddy Run will be one mile long and each of the runners will be paired with a “buddy” from various groups from local high schools and colleges to cheer the runner during the run. “Buddy Runs” will be held at several different locations throughout the City of Ithaca on Sunday afternoons from 2-3PM.

•March 27th: Wear Your Favorite Color Run at Ithaca Youth Bureau
•April 10th: Dress Like a Superhero Run at South Hill
•May 8th: Backwards Run at Cornell Plantations
•May 22nd: Wear a Fun Hat Run at Cass Park (Dish-to-pass Picnic following the run)
•June 2nd: Ithaca Festival Mile

IYC Member reveals how she stays healthy in her day to day life:

Youth Council member, Phoebe Parrish, discusses her choices to stay healthy. Read her interview in the Youth Bureau’s Spring Quarterly eNewsletter - Youth Council on Health for Teens. You can also read the entire issue by clicking here or subscribe to the newsletters by clicking here.

Healthy Options for Healthy Choices:

Healthy choices begin with having healthy options. Youth Council is taking a look at the vending machines in places like the Youth Bureau and coming up with ways to increase the healthy options. Check back in to find out about their ideas and suggestions. Are you at a loss when standing in front of a vending machine? Check out some of these articles that help identify the best and worst things you could choose.