Educating Youth About AIDS
Educating Youth About AIDS
To the Editor:
Tuesday, April 28, marked the 14th YRTA (Youth Reacting To AIDS) Youth Empowerment Conference of Interfaith AIDS Ministry of Greater Danbury. The conference was held this year in the Student Center of Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. YRTA is a youth HIV/AIDS peer education group that focuses on ways in which to help educate the youth of the community about the epidemic that is spreading throughout the world. The group is made up of 19 youths that come from five different high schools. Members that reside in Newtown are Tyler Davenport, Sam Dinnan, Sarah Ferris, Shannon Paproski, and Jacque Rosa.
Our conference is sponsored by a grant from United Way of Western Connecticut. Without the support from them as well as local businesses, this conference would not have been half the experience it was for the young adults who attended. Praxair of Danbury sponsored the binders of information that we were able to provide to all participants. Members of YRTA received ads from Sandy Hook Hair Company and Ferris Acres Creamery, as well as the items donated by the Newtown Parks and Recreation Department. Thank you for always supporting the youth of Newtown in our endeavors. We received ads as well from: Basil Jones Yoga, Downtown Cut Connection, Jerry Salese (Henry Abbott Technical High School), and Nancy Wickham. Items were also donated from Answer Magazine, Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition, Connecticut Clearinghouse, Connecticut Department of Public Health, GLSEN, Madison Square Garden, and POZ Magazine.
Local businesses that provided some breakfast foods for the conference include Andreaâs Pastry Shop, Bagel Delight, Caraluzziâs Newtown Market, Dunkinâ Donuts, and Katherineâs Kitchen. We received many comments from the participants about how delicious the breakfast items were that were provided by the above mentioned. Much appreciation goes out to them for their contributions.
We would also like to thank the presenters who also donated their time to help educate the youth: Keynote speaker Eric Garrison from The New School in NYC, Ras Mo Moses from New Haven, the Collegiate Health Service Corps (made up of WCSU students), TAN (Teens Against Negligence) from Hartford, Gina DâAngelo (Department of Public Health â Hartford), Karina Danvers (director of CT AIDS Education and Training Center at Yale School of Nursing), and the Blood Lines workshop (YRTA members). Thanks also to AIDS Project Greater Danbury, Planned Parenthood of New Haven/Healthy Teens CT Coalition, and Danbury Youth Services for providing tables of information for the participants.
Without all the support from the above mentioned companies, individuals and organizations we could not have hosted such an informative day for the 120-plus individuals that attended from across the state.
YRTA is open to all local high school students who are interested in learning more about HIV/AIDS and participating in various activities. Please email IAM_YRTA@yahoo.com if you wish to know more about YRTA.
Sincerely,
Tyler Davenport, Sam Dinnan, Sarah Ferris, Shannon Paproski and Jacque Rosa
YRTA Members Interfaith AIDS Ministry
39 Rose Street, Danbury                                                    May 7, 2009