Ten students from Armstrong High School in Manor Township will attend today’s conference. Missing from photo is Sophomore Breezlyn Lash of Kittanning.
by Jonathan Weaver
After arriving at school this morning, more than a dozen student leaders from Armstrong and West Shamokin High schools will depart again for a youth leadership conference in Indiana (Pa.)
The student leaders will be part of the annual conference at Indiana University of Pennsylvania sponsored by the Armstrong Indiana Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission.
This year’s conference is entitled, “Taking Care of Your Selfie.”
Armstrong High Spanish Teacher Janice Barnhart, who attended the conference with Kittanning Senior High students the past two years, said some of the student leaders were also nominated by teachers for a leadership breakfast with Senior High Principal James Rummel earlier this month.
“It’s a really nice day for the kids. First of all, they’re super-nice kids and it was hard to take only 10 because of all the really good leaders but I looked at who was picked for the breakfast and that helped me pick and I had some (students) help me, too, Barnhart said.
“(The leadership conference) will give them a lot to think about, things they can bring back and share with their classmates.”
Junior Andy Fennell, of Slatelick, said between the ice breaker activities, learning topics and intermittent yoga, last year’s conference was a good experience.
He said last year, student leaders discussed the hidden meaning behind some of today’s top songs.
“Listening to the songs, I was like ‘Wow – I never really noticed what this song was about,’” Fennell said.
Fennell will share the lessons he learns from today with the Spanish Club and basketball and baseball teams.
Junior Class President Ali Bowers, of Kittanning, also attended last year and learned from a breakout session regarding cyber bullying.
The lesson had an effect on Bowers – who made sure after seeing Twitter fights online that none of her friends were being cyber-bullied.
West Shamokin students, led by SADD Advisor Brigitte Kennedy, also regularly attend and have been recognized by the drug and alcohol commission in the past for their leadership against drug use.
Students from each Armstrong and Indiana County high school can attend today at no cost courtesy of the Armstrong-Indiana Drug Free Communities grant and the PA Gambling Grant.