By: Merri Guggisberg, YSB’s Youth & Family Education Coordinator

School’s out and the sun is shining but what now? YSB has compiled some fun activities to create lasting memories with your family, and none of them involve technology. Use this list to build a library of events that inspire your family members to explore new areas of interest.

Summer Meals:

There are sites serving free meals all across the state at parks, recreation centers, community centers, libraries, and schools.  Check out these ways to locate free meals near you:

• Download mobile app for Summer Eats Minnesota
• Visit Summer Food Rocks for more information
• Text “summer meals” to 97779. Have your address ready to locate closest serving site
• Create your own Family Mealtime Challenge, additional information can be found on Woodbury Thrives.

Summer Fitness:

There are plenty of free fitness opportunities for teens this summer:

• Planet Fitness Teen Summer Challenge for 15-18 year old
• YMCA MN offering free teen summer memberships
• The YMCA believes every child
  

Youth Service Bureau Celebrates its Third “Growing Together Gala”

By Paul DeGeest, YSB Development Director

On Friday, May 10th, educators, community leaders, elected officials, parents, friends, and YSB staff and volunteers came together to celebrate the third annual “Growing Together Gala.”

Keynote speaker Darcy Hager-Slavin shared her family’s painful experience with suicide and how they turned that tragedy into action by forming the Slavin Memorial Fund.

Youth speaker Sydney Isaacson shared her personal story of addiction and recovery, and how dedicated professionals at YSB helped her turn her life around and graduate early from the Stillwater Area Schools Alternative High School. Sydney plans to go on to Century College to pursue her goal of becoming a chemical health specialist herself.

Generous guests contributed selflessly in support of YSB’s work, for which we are deeply grateful. This was our most successful fundraising event so far, and we are already planning for next year.

On top of all that, people had a really good time! See photos and video from the 2019 Gala HERE and look for information about next year’s celebration.

By Julia Geigle, YSB Chemical Health Specialist

With graduation and other end-of-year celebrations coming up, let’s reflect on the role alcohol may play in these celebrations, dispel myths about underage drinking, and help our children celebrate in healthy ways.

Alcohol is pervasive in our society and some parents forgive underage drinking as a “rite of passage.” However, the younger a person initiates that first drink, the more at risk they are of experiencing devastating consequences because of their use and developing an addiction. Well-intended parents may believe that they can facilitate ‘safe’ teen drinking by allowing them to drink in their home and take away their car keys. For many reasons, this isn’t safe and undermines other parents and young people. The research shows that teens in these situations are more likely to binge drink outside of the home than teens of parents who send a consistent message that underage alcohol is not allowed and is unsafe. Furthermore, over a hundred cities in Minnesota, including Stillwater and Oak Park Heights, have a Social Host ordinance . The ordinance holds individuals (social hosts) criminally responsible for allowing a party, on public or private property, where persons under the age of 21 possess or consume alcohol, regardless of who supplied the alcohol to the minors.

By Ravi Roelfs, YSB Diversion Staff

Welcome to Summer, hopefully everyone had a nice Winter and enjoyed all the snow we received through May 2019. As we move forward, YSB would like to discuss the topic of distracted driving while using a cell phone.

Did you know the first handheld cell phone was made by Motorola in 1973?  The phone allowed a user to talk for 35 minutes and it required 10 hours to charge.  The first text message was sent on December 3^rd, 1992 sent as a SMS message saying, “Merry Christmas”.  Times have changed, as we fast-forward into the year 2019, using cell phones has pros and cons.  The average teen these days spends 53 hours a week on social media.  Hopefully your teen isn’t part of that statistic.

In Minnesota, over the last five years (2013-2017) distracted or inattentive driving was a contributing factor in one in five crashes, resulting in an average of 53 deaths and 216 serious injuries each year.

On April 12^th, 2019, Minnesota’s Governor Tim Waltz signed a bill called “The Hands Free While Driving Law”.  It is important to note that Minnesota State statues already indicated that it was illegal for drivers to send text messages and emails while driving, however, a driver was still allowed to make a phone call.  The new law changes this.

Manually punching in a cell phone number or looking up something on an app is NOW ILLEGAL. This is a form of distracted driving.  Law Enforcement urges people to have addresses already entered into the GPS on your phone before you start driving to your destination.  Some cell phones have the option for you to “talk to text” while driving.  Law enforcement still urges everyone to put away distractions and pay attention to the road.

Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) reminds us that it is illegal for drivers under age 18 to use a cell phone, whether handheld or hands-free except to call 911 in an emergency.  Parents are also reminded that cell phone use is totally banned for teen drivers during their permit and provisional license stages.   It is also illegal to pick up your phone while at a stoplight, as you are still operating a motor vehicle.

Did you know there were 9,545 tickets written in the State of Minnesota in 2018 for texting and driving?  In April 2019, the MN State Patrol, along with local police departments, participated in a Distracted Driving Campaign. They specifically looked for distracted drivers who were texting and driving. *It is important to note all departments look for these violations daily, even if they did not participate in this campaign.  To illustrate this is a re-occurring problem in Washington county, here are a few statistics from this Distracted Driving Campaign:

Bayport PD – 0 tickets issued
Cottage Grove PD – 0 tickets issued
MN State Patrol District 2400 – out of Oakdale – 222 tickets issued
Oak Park Heights PD – 5 tickets issued
St. Paul Park PD – 1 ticket issued
Stillwater PD – 0 tickets issued
Woodbury PD – 27 tickets issued
Washington County Sheriff’s office – 10 tickets issued

The penalties are always something that people want to know about.

If you get caught, it is considered a Petty Misdemeanor (PM) and you may be charged with paying a $50.00 fine. Multiple violations result in higher fines plus paying court fees.  In the big picture, your driver’s license and your ability to drive may be at risk as well. Distracted driving resulting in a crash, will have penalties on much higher level – crashing your car, hurting another person, etc.

Wisconsin has a hand-held or hands-free cell phone law as well. Some of the conditions are the same as Minnesota and it might seem like common sense, but in WI you also cannot use a hand-held mobile device while driving through a work zone. Penalties in WI are similar to MN, but you will also lose demerit points on your Driver’s License.

Have a safe Summer on the road and put your cell phone down while driving.

For future references and if you want to learn more about Distracted Driving, check out the following resources online:

• Minnesota Department of Public Safety- Office of Traffic Safety
• Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

By Katy Jo Turner, Grassroots Organizer, NAMI Minnesota

With a startling statistic that one in five people live with a mental health condition, it is equally as startling that the topic of mental illness is still met with insecurity and avoidance. Fortunately, this is starting to shift. People are especially prompted to think about their and their loved ones’ mental health during May, Mental Health Month.

During the month, NAMI Minnesota (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) is hosting many free programs for the public to learn how to support others experiencing a mental illness, encourage conversation on the topic, and inspire attendees to take better care of their own mental health.

Some presentations create empathy, some provide training, and all give hope.

“In Our Own Voice” offers an opportunity for attendees to listen to someone’s story and learn what it’s like to experience a mental illness and be in recovery.

What to Know About CBD

By Gina Johnson, Chemical Health Prevention Specialist

Currently deemed a miracle drug, Cannabidiol or CBD seems to be everywhere right now. But what exactly is CBD? While CBD and THC are both chemical components from the Cannabis plant, unlike THC, it doesn’t make you feel high. Available in the form of pills, vaping, oils, lotions, gummies, coffee, and food. CBD has been praised as a treatment for chronic pain, migraines, ADHD and anxiety. Many business and companies are jumping on the bandwagon to sell this product.

Courtesy of IndieFlix

1. Drink water
2. Stretch and exercise
3. Shower or take a bath
4. Put on a face mask
5. Eat Fruits and vegetables
6. Give yourself a mani/pedi
7. Call a friend or a family member
8. Change your bed sheets
9. Tidy your room
10. Meditate
11. Make yourself a cup of tea
12. Turn off your phone
13. Make a list of things that make you happy
14. Help out at your local animal shelter
15. Do your hair and/or makeup
16. Listen to music or a podcast
17. Go for a walk without your phone
18. Read a book
19. Journal
20. Seek out professional help
21. Take a day off

It’s okay to not be okay. Always remember that.

Read the full article here.

Let’s Talk: Alcohol and Youth: What’s the Big Deal?

By Julia Geigle

While the use of alcohol among youth is declining, there continues to be a widespread use among youth . Because drinking alcohol impairs judgement and can increase feelings of invincibility, individuals under the influence  are more likely to engage in risky behaviors like reckless driving, fighting, and having unprotected sex.

We know that one or even two standard drinks won’t lead to the type of consequences named above. However, while teens tend to drink less often than adults do, when they do drink, they drink larger amounts, compounding health and safety risks. Binge drinking, consuming at least four to five standard drinks per occasion, constitutes about 90% of underage drinking. Additionally, research has shown that the earlier in life a person drinks, the more likely they will suffer the negative consequences, and develop an addiction.

2019 Growing Together Gala, Friday, May 10^th 

Youth Service Bureau invites you to join us for an evening of entertainment, fun, community, and just a splash of learning. REGISTER NOW! for the 2019 Growing Together Gala on Friday, May 10^th at The Royal Club in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.

Live music, and lively guests, along with a charitable auction you won’t want to miss!

This year’s theme is Youth and Family Education, one of four major programs delivered by Youth Service Bureau, Inc. Our dedicated professional staff partner with schools, civic groups, religious organizations, professional associations, and others throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area to bring practical advice and effective strategies to engage and empower youth, and those who care for them. Presentation topics include mental health, vaping, social media, anxiety, the effects of screen time, and other community trends.

Don’t miss out on the fun! Register today by visiting our website at www.ysb.net and click on the Gala Registration button on the main page. Or you can register over the phone by calling us at 651-439-8800.

Caring for all: Youth & Family Education

Merri Guggisberg, YSB Youth and Family Education Coordinator

Youth Service Bureau’s mission of helping youth and families learn the skills they need to be successful at home, in school, and throughout the community is active in Youth and Family Education.  We are partnering with schools both public and private, faith communities, local nonprofits and organizations to share education sessions and help support families as they face the varied challenges of raising children.