WAURIKA, Oklahoma – On Wednesday, October 19th, the Family Life Center of the First Christian Church of Waurika was packed with students for the inaugural “TeenCon,” a conference for county 6th & 9th graders to give them the tools needed to make smart choices for their health.
Over 140 students from Ringling, Ryan, and Waurika attended the all-day conference, where they learned the myths vs facts about substance use, the harmful effects of vaping, celebrating everyone’s unique differences, and real stories of prevention. After being served lunch, students had the option of participating in either an art workshop, archery tag, or dance, before heading to their final workshops. Workshops were presented by Define Your Direction, Lighthouse Behavioral Health Centers, the Oklahoma National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, and Wichita Mountains Prevention Network.
The conference was organized by Wichita Mountains Prevention Network (WMPN), a substance misuse prevention agency, and Jefferson County Pathways, a countywide coalition started in 2021 to empower county residents to address teen marijuana misuse and other issues important to their communities. According to Jennifer Gormley, CBPS Coordinator with WMPN, this conference was months in the making. “Planning for the event began last fall when coalition members voiced a strong desire for a uniquely Jefferson County event. We chose to target 6th & 9th graders because they are just starting their middle and high school years, with all the pressures that come with it, and felt there was a great need to bolster their behavioral health. We are incredibly please with the outpouring of support the conference has received from the communities, school districts, and local businesses.”
Parents were also effusive in their praise. Said one mother to the planning committee, “Thank you so much for all your hard work you put into the TeenCon program. [My son] thoroughly enjoyed it, he had a great time and had some good facts that he came home and talked to me about. Thank you for all you do!” The conference was so successful, the Jefferson County Pathways coalition is already committed to organizing TeenCon 2023.
Interested in learning more about Jefferson County Pathways, and how you can get involved to help your community? Email Jennifer Gormley at jgormley@wmpn.org for more information and to get access to coalition meetings, which are held on the fourth Tuesday of the month via Zoom.
