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Hundreds of Young Volunteers Head to March of Dimes National Youth Leadership Conference
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. JULY 19, 2000 – Summer may be one of the best times for young people to kick back, go to the beach or make money in a summer job before heading back to school in the fall. However, for the next few days about 400 of them will be doing none of the above.
They’re trading in part of their summer break to come to Atlanta from around the country and "hit the books" in an intense session of workshops and meetings with people they’ve read about – who will teach them how to take their place as future leaders in U.S. volunteerism.
From July 19 - 23 the March of Dimes National Youth Leadership Conference will be held in Atlanta, bringing together leaders ranging from Anna Eleanor Roosevelt to Olympian Kerri Strug to inspire and instruct the hundreds of young people who have already made aggressive volunteering efforts throughout the March of Dimes nationwide.
The conference, "Celebrate The Dream 2000’’ was developed by the March of Dimes National Youth Council, a group of 16 college students from throughout the United States, and includes more than 70 leadership and personal development seminars on such topics as teen health issues, college and university entrance, public health education, goal-setting, team-building, and conflict resolution.
The conference has the support of several corporations, including Kmart, American Express and the National Peanut Board. Kmart will announce the awarding of 10 March of Dimes/Kmart Youth Leadership Scholarships, to be given to high school seniors who have demonstrated volunteer leadership in improving the health of babies in their communities.
"Today’s high school and college students will be the parents of the next generation," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. "If they understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle and know the steps everyone can take to improve the chances of having a healthy baby, we could see a decrease in the rates of prematurity, low birthweight, and infant mortality over the next 10 to 20 years."
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