Frankfort, KY - The Great Kids Summit, hosted by Kentucky Child Now!, is a unique statewide conference which brings over 500 youth and adults together to create positive change in the lives of youth in Kentucky.
The Great Kids Summit will be held in Louisville at the Galt House, July 13 - 15, 2005, and offers youth ages 13 - 24, health professionals, youth workers, state and local leaders, community groups and educators the opportunity to promote the health, safety and success of Kentucky's young people.
This year's event, "Building Success," will be centered around the Five Promises* and will feature: nationally renowned youth and adult speakers, 42 learning and networking sessions, youth activities, service projects, the Youth Policy Forum, the Adolescent Health Forum, and the 5th Annual Destiny Awards.
"Our philosophy is nothing for them without them," says Carol Blethen, Executive Director of Kentucky Child Now! "KCN values young people and is committed to involving young people as partners and change agents. The Great Kids Summit is one of the many ways in which we are doing just that."
Keynote speakers and special guests include,
. Trey Grayson, Secretary of State;
. Representative Tom Burch;
. Theresa Barton, Office of Drug Control Policy;
. Harry Wilson, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
. Dr. Gene Foster, Cabinet of Health and Family Services;
. LaMarr Darnell Shields, co-founder of the Urban Leadership Institute;
. Dr. Calvin Mackie, author, inventor and inspirational speaker;
. Pat Cooper, superintendent of schools in McComb, Miss.;
. Dawne Gee, WAVE 3 news anchor - and many more!
One of the flagship events during the Great Kids Summit will be the Youth Policy Forum. State leaders, youth and youth professionals will participate in the Youth Policy Forum on July 13, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m., to make recommendations on the services, opportunities and support systems available from private and public entities around the state. Secretary of State Trey Grayson and Theresa Barton will participate in the Youth Policy Forum by sharing their visions of youth policies in Kentucky and how to shape them for the future.
The results of the Kentucky Youth Policy Assessment, research conducted by the Kentucky Youth Development Partnership and Kentucky Child Now!, will be released and discussed during the forum. Some of the astounding information gathered during the assessment includes the number of programs serving youth in Kentucky and the possible impact offered by these programs, the billions of dollars funding these programs and the entities providing this funding. This is information which could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of children and their families throughout the commonwealth.
During the conference, Kentucky Child Now! will present the 5th Annual Destiny Awards, on July 14, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. The Destiny Award is given in recognition of individuals and organizations that have had a significant positive impact on the future of Kentucky's children. Awards will be presented in four divisions: Youth, Business, Nonprofit and Government. Dr. Calvin Mackie, professor, inventor and author will be the inspirational speaker and Dawne Gee, WAVE 3 News will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies.
Another premier event at the Great Kids Summit is the Adolescent Health Forum on July 15, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Youth, health officials and professionals, youth workers and adults alike will address four health issues affecting adolescents: mental health, substance abuse & tobacco use, reproductive health and unintentional injury. The purpose of this discussion is to allow youth and professionals to interact about these serious issues and to elevate awareness of critical health issues among the public and policy-makers.
The Summit also offers workshops and sessions for youth 13 to 24 and professionals of all ages on various topics including creating community youth and adult partnerships, underage drinking prevention, teen leadership, recognizing bully behavior, the costs of dropping out of school, school based healthcare, youth obesity and innovative topics like Using Rap Music & Hip Hop Culture as a Tool to Engage Youth in Community Activism.
"Youth and adults need more opportunities such as the Great Kids Summit to connect, to communicate, to learn together, and to build relationships," Blethen said. "This just doesn't happen often enough in our society and in our communities."
To register for the Great Kids Summit, participants can visit the Web site: www.kychildnow.org or call (502) 227-7722.
Kentucky Child Now! is a nonprofit organization established in 1998 to promote the healthy development of children and youth through innovative state and community strategies. Our initiatives integrate children's health and youth development; foster collaboration; create positive change and action on behalf of all children; and address the need to engage young people as partners and change agents.
*Five Promises: Caring Relationships, Safe Places, Healthy Start/ Future, Marketable Skills, Opportunity to Serve (www.americaspromise.org)
