Hazelwood East GEAR UP students Denzell Roberson, Sharnea Parker, Jeremiah Burton, Bryon Humphrey and Shakita Hardeway joined some 500 other Missouri students on Feb. 10-11 for a two-day Youth Summit a few blocks from the State Capitol in Jefferson City.

The Hazelwood East students and teachers are members of the Youth Empowerment in Action (YEA) program. YEA is a media literacy-based program hosted by the Center for Character and Citizenship at UMSL’s College of Education. YEA’s mission is to encourage and empower youth to make good life choices and decisions.
Audrey Lee, Sue Baervelt, Sabrina Sylvester and Justin Wilhite, who received YEA training last year, serve as mentors to more than 20 Hazelwood East students who are developing an anti-smoking program.
The Youth Summit, planned by UMSL with funding from the MO Dept. of Health and Senior Services, featured motivational speakers, tobacco control leadership training and interactive educational sessions. The Hazelwood team enthusiastically participated in breakout sessions like “Advocacy Training 101”; “Training for Success” and “The Tobacco Industry 2009.” As one student summed up the theme
of the conference: “If we can convince younger kids not to start smoking, maybe we can have a generation of non-smokers.”
State Rep. Rochelle Walton Gray, joined Hazelwood students and staff during the Leadership Breakfast. Afterward, students had a chance to talk with Rep. Gray and take photos.
According to Liaison Sharon Anhalt, GEAR UP students and staff are On the Move. Ongoing academic activities at East include ACT Strategies 101, peer tutoring, SAVE (Spartans Against Violence Everywhere), a new partnership with the St. Louis County Library, and much more.