Prevention, Wellness, and Healing
A Symposium with a Youth Perspective
Thursday, May 20, 2021 from 9:00am - 2:00pm
This virtual conference for students and the people who work with them is designed to support positive environments for youth that help prevent substance misuse. By having the youth participants learn from adults and adult participants learn from students, this event empowers both to create change within their communities.
The keynote speaker is Kendrick Moore, a life coach and professional basketball trainer who has created student-driven programs on leadership development for Windsor Public Schools. Moore and former student Denise Solis will chronicle a timeline of personal experiences that will help bridge the gap of understanding between student and educator.
In the breakout sessions, adult participants will hear from students in the Windsor High School Leadership Council on how to handle sensitive topics such as substance misuse and mental health; the State Student Advisory Council on Education, who will discuss strategies to connect with students and keep them engaged during the pandemic; and the Student Equity Advisory Board, who will discuss how inequity in education influences mental health, connection, self-esteem and identity.
Students will participate in breakout sessions on self-care and strategies to tackle stress, recognize mental health challenges when they arise, and understand how to get help for themselves and others; and on race and equity in education, with an emphasis on self-esteem and identity and their correlation with substance misuse. Finally, students and adults will come back together for facilitated conversations.
Contact info:
Emma Velasquez, SERC, (860) 632-1485, ext. 218 or
