Middletown and Vinal Tech High Teens Learn Healthy Living at Conference

More than 100 students from East Hampton, Middletown, and Vinal Tech high schools participated in the thirty-second  annual Teen Life Conference on January 9 at Wesleyan University’s Exley Science Center. 

The conference was an opportunity for participants to attend workshops on subjects that may be of interest to teens but not usually found in traditional school curriculum. The workshops were conducted by professionals from local and state health, social service, and education agencies.

This year’s workshop topics  and facilitators were: 

“Communication”, Tara Lutz, MPH, Health Education Graduate Assistant, University of Connecticut; “Teen Parenting”, Lynn Diotalvei, APRN, Nurse Practioner, Community Health Center; “Stress Management”, Lawrence Ford, Practioner, Ford Center for Integrative Health; “Healthy Relationships”, Lauren Donais, MA, Violence Against Women Coordinator,   University of  Connecticut; “Bullying”, John Boiano, Director, Pulse Integrations; “Nutrition”, Maribeth Abrams, MS, Certified Nutritionist, Healing in Harmony Center;  “Body Art”, Paola Chanes-Mora, MPH, Health Education  Graduate Assistant, University of Connecticut.

In addition to the workshops, students viewed a performance of “Destructive Decision Making” by the Interactive Educational Theatre. This presentation focused on the negative impact of alcohol and substance abuse as well as peer pressure, self-respect, and healthy-decision making.

The Teen Life Conference is sponsored by the Middletown Health Department in cooperation with Wesleyan University and participating schools. The Middletown Local Substance Abuse Council provided partial funding for this year’s event.