Agenda - 06-28-1994-X-A - Laserfiche WebLink

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14 Introduction On Saturday, November 5, 1988, over 200 participants gathered at Orange High School in Hillsborough to take pan in a symposium on services for youth in Orange County. In recogniz- ina the need for such a meeting, the Orange County Board of Commissioners initiated the cau- cus, hoping to obtain fresh and innovative ideas, set into motion solutions in problem areas, and also to provide an opportunity to form a stronger county-wide network of agency representatives and concerned citizens. Participating were parents, members of youth agencies and boards, volunteers, concerned citizens and Orange County Commissioners. On the agenda of the all day event were several notable addresses, followed by a youth panel and group sessions on six topics concerning youths. Highlights from the keynote address follow, as well as brief summaries of the findings of the group sessions. Keynote speaker, Dr. Frank Loda, Director for the UNC Center for Early Adolescence, particu- larly emphasized that adults must concern themselves more with what they can do "with" adoles- cents, rather than what they can do "to" or"for" them: I am ... pleased that the planners of this meeting have given adolescents an opportunity to speak out today for themselves rather than just letting us, as adults, pontificate on what they need. In order to bring into perspective the needs of youth, Dr. Loda asked the conference participants to think for a moment about what they were like, what they were interested in, and what the%, thought about their own parents when they, were adolescents. He then asked that adults thin]L, a moment about what adolescents %vant today: Much of the apparent conflict relates to negotiation for space and independence. These do not differ substantially now from the type of negotiations that each or you went through when you were teenagers. Teenagers as a group want acceptance from their parents, as much as they want it from their peers. They want to negotiate a way of pleasing both. �r ironmental chan`cs, however, reflect changes in our larger society. Today, both parents are often employed full time. Single parent families have increased, and the lack of an extended family is common. Availability of drugs and alcohol is greater now and more socially accept- able. Adolescents see adult consumption of alcohol glorified and glamorized and often obtain it from parents. Also, exposure to violence and explicit sexual behavior in the media is greater than in the past. Problems exist in Orange Countv that ed to be solved and challenges that need to be met. Dr. Loda admitted. However, Orange Countv has a history of people working to gether to find solutions, v.•ith notable successes. Pregnancy rates in Orange County are half that o the st:itc and half of what they were seven or eight vears ago. These changes reflect the increased oppor- tunities to youths to help them see how they can improve their lives. Development of day care