COMMUNITY

Virtual youth summit Feb. 6

Teens can get help preparing for life during and after high school through the ILEAD Youth Leadership Summit, set for Saturday, Feb. 6. The free, one-day event is online this year and open to any high school-aged teen living in the mid-Willamette Valley.

The summit will feature highly interactive workshops presented by guest speakers and teen panels. Participants choose from workshop topics covering personal and leadership development, mental health and self-care, workforce readiness and other “adulting” topics such as finances, credit, student loans and insurance coverage.

The youth committee decided to do something about it by bringing “sunshine vibes to the mid-Willamette Valley.” Members representing Salem-Keizer, Central, and Woodburn school districts wanted to offer an online event experience where high schoolers could laugh, feel safe, improve their well-being, and reconnect with peers from the safety of their homes.

Registration, at tinyurl.com/mwvilead, closes Feb. 4. The event website includes a video tutorial on how to sign up for workshops. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and includes games, challenges, raffle prizes, breaks, a live lounge, an event T-shirt and other swag for all teen participants.

Marion County Health and Human Services and City of Salem are the 2021 sponsors.