2008 marks the 10^th annual INSPIRE Youth Conference (formerly known as the Central Oregon Youth Conference).   The INSPIRE Youth Conference started in 1999 as the brainchild of the Deschutes County Prevention Team.   Each year, our goal is to equip young people in Central Oregon to make healthy life choices and to resist alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.  The INSPIRE planning team is committed to empowering youth to succeed, and understand that helping prevent the abuse of substances enhances their ability to reach their personal goals.

However, INSPIRE is more than just a conference.    It is a call to action.  Middle school youth are challenged to take skills and information they gain at the conference and share it back with their community.  Each youth attends the event with a team of up to 15 middle schoolers, either from their school or from a community youth organization.  These teams are asked to devise an action plan for sharing what they have learned with those in their schools, their parent circles, community’s businesses, or broader community.  Each team has an adult Team Advisor who shepherds the process throughout the school year.  Over the past nine years, on average, over 80 percent of youth teams complete their proposed project by the end of the school year.

The INSPIRE Youth Conference planning team is made up of professionals and citizens who care about the success of youth in our community.   In 2008, the adult planning team invited high school youth to participate in planning for the fall 2008 conference. We look forward to expanding the participation of youth in the INSPIRE planning process in the future.  The INSPIRE planning team will recruit new volunteers each year.

If you are interested in helping plan the INSPIRE Youth Conference, please contact the Deschutes County Commission on Children & Families at (541) 388-6619.

Register for the INSPIRE Youth Conference

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