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TeenTalk holds Youth Summit
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Posted on Mar 24 2008
About 150 students participated in the first ever Teen Talk Youth Summit organized by the Public School System and the Division of Youth Services last week.
The youth summit, which was held at the ChaCha Oceanview Jr. High School for two days, sought to empower the youth through knowledge and skills so they could make healthy decisions, such as saying no to drugs, alcohol and sex.
According to PSS Teen Talk adviser Sharleen Crisostimo, the entire event was “youth-led.”
“Teen Talk planned and practiced for months. They were facilitators and presenters. This is a prime example of youth empowerment,” Crisostimo said.
Students from both public and private school and even NMC started meeting since September last year to plan and prepare for the summit.
Guest speaker included Department of Cultural Affairs acting Secretary Melvin Faisao and Rep. Ralph Torres.
Faisao highlighted the importance of youth development and empowerment, saying that the two approaches “promote greater participation and involvement of youth in the socioeconomic and public affairs in the community.”
Cisostimo said this was the first time Teen Talk hosted a youth summit. “It was a learning curve, but overall it was successful,” she said.
She said they already have a number of ideas for next year’s event, including a three-day summit instead of a two-day summit, inviting more students, and putting up more exhibits from community agencies.
“PSS and DYS collaborated and this partnership is crucial in empowering our youth. We are thankful to Chacha Oceanview JHS administration and staff for allowing us to use their campus for the summit. We are thankful to all the PSS staff and DYS staff for their support,” Crisostimo said.
