WAKEFIELD — Executive Director Margie Daniels is pleased to announce that Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth held its largest student conference to date yesterday, reaching approximately 900 local teens.
The conference, titled “Connecting with Young People by Saying What Needs to Be Heard,” was held at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School in New Bedford and featured acclaimed motivational speaker Dr. Adolph Brown.
The conference is the first in a series of student and adult conferences this week hosted by MPY and featuring Brown. In student conferences Monday and Tuesday, Brown will present how the everyday pressures of academics, athletics and to “fit in” on social media contribute to stress, anxiety and depression, as well as the harsh realities of school violence, cyber-attacks and political turmoil. Through the conferences, Brown, will also introduce students to resources and methods to combat various stresses and challenges they face.
“Dr. Brown was very interactive with the students, and spoke about his humble beginnings and how he overcame adversity through hard work and the support of educators,” Daniels said. “He encouraged students to be the best they can be and to continue to improve rather than trying to be perfect. It was truly special to see the way he was able to connect and engage with students, and share an important message.”
Brown also discussed implicit bias, and encouraged students at the conference not to “judge a book by its cover.”
At Tuesday’s student conference, Brown will also be joined by Kathy Lopes, an expert in educational issues related to equity, diversity and inclusion, Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer and Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur.
Later this week, Brown will also address educators, school psychologists, social workers, guidance counselors, school resource officers and administrators in professional development conferences titled “Lessons in Uncommon Sense.” During each event, Brown will discuss equity, diversity and inclusion, and how to make a difference in the lives of students. The adult conferences will also include additional speakers including Lopes and Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Boston University’s Wheelock College Dr. Raul Fernandez.
About the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is a non-profit 501.c(3) organization that provides training, fosters collaboration, and develops programming to increase the health and safety of students. MPY is committed to bringing cutting-edge information and high quality trainings to constituents and endeavors to provide solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to reducing and ideally eliminating risky behaviors for youth.
The nonprofit is governed by a Board of Directors made up of school superintendents, police and fire chiefs, and other community leaders who work closely with MPY staff to deliver this mission.
To learn more, visit www.mpyinc.org.
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