Youth leaders learn skills to help community

Reality Check and Hamilton Area Community Coalition youth leaders spent part of their week at the White Eagle Conference Center learning and planning for ways to improve their communities.

HAMILTON, N.Y. » Reality Check and Hamilton Area Community Coalition youth leaders spent part of their week at the White Eagle Conference Center in Hamilton, N.Y., learning and planning for ways to improve their communities.

Participating youths came from Madison, Stockbridge, Morrisville-Eaton, Hamilton, Canastota, Chittenango, and Dolgeville.

Adam Wojsiat, 14, a freshman from Stockbridge, is thankful for this opportunity. “Being involved in Reality Check is a great way for me to help my community to be healthier. Over the past two days, we planned activities and projects for the year that would get out our message out about the impact of tobacco and ways to reduce youth tobacco-use.”

During their training, the youths worked on several skills, including public speaking, leadership skills, goal setting, planning, and contacting the media. Town of Brookfield Supervisor John Salka met with the youth leaders to share information about his work in government and in the health field.

“The knowledge he shared was very beneficial. I appreciated how much time he spent with us and how genuine he was. I felt they learned a lot from him,” said Francesca Matteson, 16, from Madison.

For more information, visit www.realitycheckofny.com.

PHOTO COURTESY REALITY CHECK Front row from left: Rocco Pizzuto (Stockbridge Valley), Kat Wojsiat (Holy Cross Academy) , Ella Camp (Morrisville-Eaton), Supervisor John Salka, Phoenix Longway and Dakota Jeffers (Dolgeville), Back row from left: Skyler Camp (Morrisville-Eaton), Francesca Matteson (New Life Christian School), Adam Wojsiat (Holy Cross Academy), Max Wallace and Alyssa Mackinnon (Hamilton), Rachel Mennig (Stockbridge Valley), Bailey Foster (Chittenango), Hailey Cutting (Hamilton), and Hailey Bernet (Stockbridge Valley).