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High school students learn leadership skills Alcohol and drug abuse • Violence • Teen pregnancy • Diversity awareness • Poverty
The central Pennsylvania high school students in these photos participated in the annual Make a Difference youth leadership conference sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania Forum for the Future. During the program, held at Penn State’s University Park campus, students discussed solutions to some of the problems occurring in their schools and communities. They also participated in teambuilding exercises. photos by Dave Shelly University Photo/Graphics	These are some of the issues sophomores and juniors from central Pennsylvania high schools discussed during the second annual Make a Difference ’99 youth leadership conference.   The four-day conference, held at Penn State’s University Park campus, drew 165 students from 41 schools in Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder and Union counties. The Central Pennsylvania Forum for the Future created and sponsors the conference to give high school students opportunities to develop personal, teambuilding and community-service skills that they can use throughout their lives.   “The conference format involved workshops, exercises, presentations and recreational activities focusing on effective communication, setting boundaries, group facilitation, team leadership, critical thinking and evaluation, recognizing and capitalizing on diversity and defining and practicing ethics and integrity,” James F. Campbell, associate director of Outreach Operations for Penn State Outreach and Cooperative Extension, said. Campbell has been a member of the planning committee for the Make a Difference conference for more than two years.   Students met in small groups to talk about real-life problems facing their schools and communities. A group of 34 college-age “Near Peers” and other professionals assisted the students.   Here’s what some of the students had to say about their experiences at the Make a Difference conference: “The conference changed my life in a good way. It changed the way I think, feel and look at things.” —Indian Valley High School “I was able to voice my opinions and share my troubles, while at the same time being reassured that I was not the only one facing those problems.” —Lock Haven High School “In the long run, I believe we will be better leaders and have a more avid interest in our communities.” —Middleburg High School “The wealth of information I have gathered from this unique experience is sure to shine through in everything I do.” —Newport High School “I not only learned the value of goals and direction, but also the way to accomplish them through a team effort.” —Shikellamy High School   The Central Pennsylvania Forum for the Future partners with government agencies and businesses to offer the Make a Difference conference free to qualified students.   Supporting organizations for the 1999 conference included Penn State Continuing Education’s Conferences and Institutes and the Outreach Office of Marketing Communications, the Pennsylvania College of Technology, the Penn State Geisinger Foundation, Bloomsburg University, Bucknell University, Susquehanna University, the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, SEDA–Council of Governments, Bell Atlantic–Pennsylvania Inc., Keystone Financial Bank and PP&L Inc. The conference was funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the Appalachian Regional Commission.