Fourteen were selected from Fannin County to attend STAR (Students Taking Action for Respect) Youth Conference at TWU Campus June 12-14.  The conference was sponsored by Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) from Austin,TX.  The conference gave students from across Texas an opportunity to come together to learn more about the issues of sexual and dating violence, the root causes of these forms of violence and what they can do to create schools and communities free from violence.

Teams of students participated in training sessions that follow the standard STAR curriculum.  These students attended all day classes on prevention model taught by peer educators with the STAR State Youth Council.  The adults /sponsors were attending classes with prevention focus to help support youth in efforts to build STAR programs and combat sexual and dating violence.

Conference attendees benefitted from leadership training, prevention skill-building and other activities.   Students were learning how to implement these concepts in our schools and community to encourage and develop healthy relationships.  Topics included were sexual harassment, dating violence, acquaintance rape, sexual violence prevention, sexual violence and the media, youth leadership, and program development. 

The state requirements for HR.121 went into effect 2008 that requires implementing prevention model within the school systems.  We want to thank the parents/sponsors and our peer educators for their cooperation.  These students will be working closely with their school counselors and our County Primary Prevention Coordinator to implement changes that will benefit the community at large.

(Right to left  front): Bryce Massey, Flora Rosas, Leidy Maldonado, Macala Michaud, Keely Sullivan, Alyssa Miller, Pearl Walls. (Back):  Juanita Lance – Primary Prevention Coordinator, Ursula Hansen -Trenton/ Honey Grove Middle School counselor, Kelley Haggard – sponsor, Natalie Ferguson, Abby Reyes, Alex Gibbons, Megan Massey – sponsor.