Two teams of six students and two adults from Peabody-Burns High School’s SADD Chapter joined more than 150 Kansas high school students and adult advisors for the 15th annual Kansas Youth Leadership Summit at Rock Springs 4-H Center in Junction City.

PBHS teams created two action plans to help steer their fellow students toward safe choices. One is to continue to grow and enhance the mentoring program that is currently in place and the other is to give students positive options to prevent alcohol and drug use as well as to promote safety belt use and safe driving behavior.

Attending the KYLS conference motivated and trained students to serve as catalysts of positive change in Peabody and Burns. Students plan to improve their communities and expand their leadership skills.

Peabody-Burns High School students and adults who attended KYLS were Max Caldwell, Tyler Entz, Adam Frye, Mallory Harris, Anna Lubbers, Sydney Jantz, Breanna Lett, Paige Murray, Kayla Page, Marcus Sanders, Lexi Schreiber, Bryant Young, SADD sponsor Annette Elliott, and adult sponsor Paula Harris. Chance Elliott attended as a youth leader and was in charge of Halstead High School’s first action plan.

Conference participants explored new ways to deal with critical issues facing teens and communities, including alcohol and drug availability, perception of harm, community social norms, family attitudes, binge drinking, marijuana use, crash dynamics, and more.

PBHS students are excited about working to change the climate in their school and community by helping their fellow students focus on making better choices and encouraging parents to become better informed about the dangers of alcohol and drug use.

PBHS youth speaker Chance Elliott told conference participants about his work with SADD and his trip to SADD Speaks (Students for Policy, Education, Advocacy, and Knowledge) in Washington, DC during the summer. Nationally known motivational speaker and author, Bill Cordes, led the summit. Keynote speaker was David Sotelo, philosophy student at Conception Seminary College Diocese in Wichita. The conference took place from July 31 to Aug. 2.