Contributed by Brandi Kinney -
2019 Youth Summit
08/06/2019 – 4PM
My House Youth Action Board & Mat-Su Opioid Task Force
The Glenn Massay Theater
8295 E College Dr. Palmer
FREE Event
The My House Youth Action Board is a board comprised of previously homeless youth working to create a paradigm shift in policy, administration and culture around the treatment of homeless youth in Alaska. With this shift, we have an opportunity to reduce the incredibly high rates of sexual assault, domestic violence and drug addiction that our youth are currently facing.
Our first step in accomplishing this goal is hosting the 2019 Youth Summit, to create a diverse and inclusive gathering focused on a wide spectrum of youth voices, speaking about addiction in our communities from our point of view. Additionally, we want to foster an environment for connectivity for youth by making available volunteer opportunities and peer support. We know that 52% of the youth in the Mat-Su Valley feel disconnected and unvalued by their community (2017), so we will be encouraging resiliency by providing opportunity through vendor tables, a youth resource list and peer support throughout the summit.
We will be hosting youth panels that will share stories of resiliency against the three main drivers of addiction, which have been identified as Trauma (domestic violence, sexual assault, etc.), Poverty (homelessness, unemployment, etc.), and Mental Health (or the lack thereof.) Through these efforts, we will bring awareness to the attendees about the drivers of addiction, how this epidemic is viewed from the eyes of the youth, and what resiliency factors are present within in our communities that are efficient and effective.
This summit will be held at The Glenn Massay Theater, August 6th, from 4:00pm-9:00pm, with free pizza for all attendees at 7:00pm.
Our key note speakers will be Dr. Anne Zinc, Medical Director of Mat-Su Regional Hospital and Adam Crum, Commissioner of Health and Social Services. As well as our youth panel moderators: Janel Gagnon of Gagnon Plastic Surgery, Michael Carson, Chair of the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force and Michelle Overstreet, Executive Director of MY House. We are also to excited to announce our youth partners in this event: Mat-Su Youth Court, The Alaska Youth Action Board and No More Mat Su.
We would like to thank all of our sponsors for making this event possible:
American’s for Prosperity
Recover Alaska
The Mat-Su Opioid Task Force
MY House
Please call Brandi Kinney with MY House at 907- 373-43574 further questions about the 2019 Youth Summit.
