Members of Hamilton County VOICE — a chapter of Indiana’s statewide youth empowerment initiative — recently held a summit and retreat at the Westfield Washington Township offices in Westfield, bringing together two dozen students from high schools across Hamilton County eager to make a difference in their communities.
The students spent the summit working on activities to foster teamwork, build knowledge and inspire action. Tasks included team-building exercises, discussions on vaping and attendance at the monthly Tobacco Free Hamilton County Alliance meeting.
Students also learned about marketing tactics employed by tobacco companies and planned events for the 2024-25 school year.
The summit featured presentations by Stacy McGuire of Thineman Construction; Jim Ginder of the Hamilton County Health Department; Stacy London of VOICE Indiana; Stacy Collins and Erica Strahm of Breathe Easy Hamilton County; Lucy Shenk, a senior at Marian College and a VOICE Hamilton County alumna; and Sanjana Malineni, a senior at Hamilton Southeastern High School and a statewide VOICE youth advocate.
VOICE Hamilton County members are students dedicated to tobacco-free lifestyles. Their involvement in VOICE adds another dimension to their commitment to positively impacting their peers and community. All Hamilton County middle school and high school students are invited to participate.
In collaboration with Breathe Easy Hamilton County and its Vape Free Schools Task Force subcommittee, VOICE is committed to uniting efforts across the county to combat the vaping epidemic among students. Learn more at breatheeasyhamiltoncounty.com
