Students and CMU’s Leadership Institute are teaming up to talk to high
school students about teen violence awareness.

CMU Sexual Aggression Peer Advocates (SAPA) members, Volunteer
Center advocates and leadership facilitators from the Leadership
Institute will present programs to about 430 students at Farwell High
School.

The presentations are a part of Teen Summit 2006, a program designed
to educate youths about teen violence.

Volunteers will teach high schoolers how to deal with real-life
situations they may encounter in their adult lives.

“The summit is a way that we can educate students on a variety of
topics consisting of teen health and other issues in order to raise
awareness,” said Phyllis Hall, Farwell High School principal.

SAPA Adviser Stephen Thompson will give the summit’s opening keynote
address, in which he will discuss the reality of teen aggression in
U.S. society.

“It is important because it is something that affects them; their
generation is the one that can make the positive change,” said
Thompson, a physical education and sport faculty member.

For the fourth consecutive Teen Summit, five SAPA members will
perform an abbreviated version of “No Zebras, No Excuses.”

The language and intensity of the show is the same as the
performance presented to incoming CMU freshman during Welcome Weekend.

SAPA will then coordinate different sessions to discuss issues
raised in the show that are important for high school students to
understand.

“Sexual aggression is an issue with everybody, and it has to be
addressed,” Thompson said.

The Volunteer Center will present the “David Garcia Project,” a
program which will send the high schoolers through simulation
activities to experience what it is like to live with a disability.

“As developing citizens who are thinking of life past high school,
it is important they understand they will be living and working with
people with disabilities the rest of their lives,” said Shawna Ross,
CMU Volunteer Center coordinator.

This is the first time VC has presented the David Garcia Project for
the Teen Summit.

Dan Gaken, coordinator of leadership development for the Leadership
Institute, will take four undergraduate leadership facilitators to host
three one-hour sessions at the summit.

The sessions will focus on how leadership is something Farwell
students can incorporate into their lives and will help them discover
what type of leaders they are.

The Leadership Institute visits 15-25 schools a semester. This is
its first trip to Farwell High School.

“Teachers and faculty at high schools love it and often ask us back.
They observe the focus on leadership and improved community focus,”
Gaken said. “The program is very well received.”

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