Link Up Results
Click here to download
the LINK-UP Youth Conference 2005 agenda. |
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78 youths (ages 13-15)
and their adult chaperones came together on Saturday, February 5
for a day of life skills learning, fellowship, motivation, and
team work on the campus of Nash Community College (NCC) in Rocky
Mount, NC. The youths noticed immediately that NCC staff were
welcoming and glad
to have them on campus. The conference
opened with a game of LINK-Up BINGO with winners receiving
prizes such as cameras to take pictures for their lifebooks.
Antwan provided a keynote speech focusing on how all attendees
are as one, struggling, needing to trust someone, and feeling
isolated due to their situation. He encouraged youths to learn
to trust and be "somebody" instead of the "nobody" people are
expecting. Antwan motivated youths to move forward and become
involved in their plan. The morning agenda included workshops on
Sex/STD/HIV, Education, Decision-Making, and Making a Good
Impression. The afternoon included cooperative games with youths
and adults working together and concluded with our own version
of life skills relay games called "The O-LINK-Pic Games." Teams
of youths rushed through sorting and folding clothes, matches
prices to products and cleaning a messy room. A "Panel of
Experts" judged the teams on accuracy and speed. The day ended
with LaKisha commenting on the youths' level of participation
and asking them to use the information they learned when they
return to their homes. The day was beautiful and provide a
wonderful way to bring younger foster teens together.
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