Six Hamilton County youth join fight for smoke-free air
Leaders are made, not born. That is exactly what Purdue University Extension in Hamilton County is doing.
“A Chance To Serve” (ACTS) is a community youth leadership program that places youth on local boards and committees after participating in a series of five day-long leadership training sessions. Purdue Extension Hamilton County partners with local community leaders to provide an opportunity for the youth to participate and be active members on boards and committees.
“The A Chance to Serve program is such a great opportunity for youth to engage in their communities and to share their unique perspective,” Maggie Herrington said. “Purdue Extension Hamilton County is proud to steward this program with support from local organizations like VOICE/Breathe Easy.”
ACTS graduated 29 high school freshmen and sophomores earlier this month. Six of them will join VOICE: Max Palmer, Guerin Catholic High School; Trent Horney, Sheridan High School; Shae Punzel, Guerin Catholic High School; Giselle Effing, Hamilton Heights High School; Sierra Bramel, Hamilton Heights High School; and Mariana Lopez, Sheridan High School.
The VOICE Club is a youth arm of Breathe Easy Hamilton County. The program focuses on advocacy and peer education of the dangers of vaping and tobacco. They routinely bring awareness of the problems with tobacco and nicotine, especially vaping, to their high schools throughout Hamilton County.
“I’m excited to get involved with other teens to educate our peers on the dangers of vaping and smoking and how uncool it actually is,” said Max Palmer, Purdue Extension ACTS graduate.
This group will waste no time in getting started. Look for these future leaders to be down at the Statehouse in January to speak with policy makers on this important issue.
ACTS graduates have consistently been bright stars of the VOICE program at Breathe Easy, including Noblesville High School’s Nicole Liu who was invited to speak at this year’s Indiana Commercial Tobacco Control State Conference. Other ACTS graduates currently serving VOICE include Suhita Chintalacharuvu and Terryn Green from Hamilton Southeastern and Drew Law from Westfield High School.
About VOICE
VOICE is Indiana’s statewide youth empowerment brand and program, whose initiative is to engage, educate, and empower teens to promote and celebrate tobacco-free lifestyles. VOICE’s mission is to engage, educate, empower young people as leaders and advocates in their communities through sustained youth-adult partnerships, positive youth development and public health advocacy training. VOICE Indiana has funded 24 counties and two Statewide Chapters (Indiana Black Expo & Indiana Latino Institute) and is represented by over 429 Core Team Leaders and Action Squad Members across the state.
About Breathe Easy Hamilton County
As an alliance working with local organizations and individuals within the Hamilton County community, Breathe Easy Hamilton County promotes tobacco-free living in order to reduce mortality and morbidity rates. Breathe Easy is working to ensure that all workers in Hamilton County are protected from secondhand smoke exposure. Breathe Easy believes everyone deserves the right to breathe smoke-free air at work and in public places.
About Good Samaritan Network
As the lead agency for Breathe Easy, Good Samaritan Network is the umbrella organization that coordinates and develops various opportunities for consistent programming and services in Hamilton County for those underserved or at-risk.