Camping for a cause

WASILLA -- When you get 56 high school teens together for a camp-out, one would normally expect some chicanery and trouble. But not when that's exactly what they are trying to avoid.

Fifty-six students from seven high schools, as well as advisers, took to Meier's Lake Center last week for a two-day workshop geared toward helping other students make better decisions about their lifestyles.

"We want to promote that the 'cool' teen-agers aren't using drugs, alcohol and tobacco," said Jim Holen of the Juvenile Assessment Center.

Holen has been coordinating the two-day workshop for 14 years, and as a former high school counselor, he has seen the positive impact peer helpers have.

"There are alternatives to drugs and alcohol," Holen added.

The retreat kicks off the school district's peer helper program each year. It presents the students with overviews on how to help counsel peers and strategies for encouraging healthy lifestyle choices.

"It's a big overview of the roles of the peer helpers and some of the referral agencies available," Holen said. "These groups try to discourage high-risk behavior in teens."

The program was sponsored by Life Quest, Valley Hospital's Healthy Communities program and the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services - Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

Seven high schools -- Burchell, Colony, Wasilla, Palmer, Su Valley, Houston and Valley Pathways -- had students who attended the retreat.

The 56 students who attended the workshop are part of a larger group of about 100 students who volunteer as peer helpers in the seven high schools.

"Some of them have been to the workshop before, but for most it was their first time," Holen said. "We are trying to help them promote healthy role models for other kids, and a positive climate in the schools."

Peer helpers work in the high schools, and go to middle and elementary schools to present topics to other students.

They also try to mediate problems students face in day-to-day situations at school.

This week is Red Ribbon Week, which promotes a drug-free lifestyle. Planning for school activities during Red Ribbon Week took place at the workshop.

Other topics covered by the students included suicide awareness and prevention, peer helper skill-building and alcohol and substance abuse.

Teams of students also made various presentations throughout the two days.

Dave Perry from the Mat-Su Recovery Center talked to the students about substance abuse prevention, and Brian Wilson from Kids Are People Inc.'s Tobacco Control Alliance addressed the students as well.

School counselors -- LeAnn Marquard of Burchell, Pat Floyd of Colony, Jeanine Sparks of Wasilla, Angie Buresh of Valley Pathways, Colleen Keen and Bob Williams of Palmer, Sharon Johnson of Su Valley and Mary Beth Gillespie of Houston -- all attended the retreat and worked beside the students on a number of projects.