NYS To Present Gail Smith Awards On May 22

Newtown Youth Services, Inc., will hold its Annual Meeting and Gail Smith Awards Ceremony at 7 pm on Monday, May 22, in the Memorial Room of the Congregational Church House at 41A Main Street.

This year’s guest speaker is Ed Meincki, the director of Glastonbury Youth Services and first president and initiator of the Connecticut Youth Services Association (CYSA). He started working for Glastonbury Youth and Family Services in December 1970, when Glastonbury Youth and Family Services was the first youth service bureau in the state of Connecticut. Mr Meincke’s topic will be “Youth Services – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.”

Since 1972, the Connecticut Youth Services Association has provided support to Connecticut’s system of local Youth Service bureaus (YSBs), currently serving over 120 municipalities throughout the state. The YSB system represents more than 25 years of continuing development and partnership between local municipalities and the State of Connecticut to provide prevention and support services to CT’s youth and their families.

Youth Service bureaus were typically created to respond to growing youth problems such as juvenile crime, school truancy, family crisis, and substance abuse. Today, the youth service bureau system includes clinical services, crisis intervention, prevention, positive youth development, community development and planning, plus juvenile justice services.

CYSA is dedicated to the development and maintenance of local youth service bureaus. Through CYSA’s work, youth services will be enhanced, and the quality of life for CT’s children and youth will be improved.

The public is cordially invited. For more information, call 270-4335.