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DOJ & OPI Announce National Missing Children's Day Poster Contest

Over the next two months, through a combined effort of the Montana Department of Justice and the Office of Public Instruction, Montana school students will have the opportunity to participate in a poster contest that focuses on the theme: Bring Our Missing Children Home Safely. "This contest allows Montana fifth graders to compete at the state and national level, while giving schools the opportunity to teach students about personal safety," said Jennifer Viets, Montana's Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager. "We know there is a great deal of talent in our schools and we hope to send one of our students to Washington, D.C." Posters must be original artwork; 8 x14 inches in size, with the words "Bring Our Missing Children Home Safely" appearing on the poster. To compete in the state contest, the poster and student application form must be received by February 21, 2011. Posters are to be sent to: Montana Department of Justice Missing Persons Clearinghouse PO Box 201406 Helena MT 59620 Posters will be judged for originality of design, reflection of the contest theme and use of color and materials. The winning student will attend an award ceremony with Attorney General Steve Bullock and Superintendent Denise Juneau in Helena and receive a $100 cash prize. The winning Montana poster will then be submitted to the national contest.

Juneau and Education Leaders Ask Legislature to Prioritize Reducing Dropout Rate

Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau and education leaders in Montana gathered to support a statewide policy change to address Montana's graduation rate. Today, the Senate Education committee will hear Senate Bill 44. Sponsored by Sen. Taylor Brown (R-Huntley), SB 44 would raise Montana's legal dropout age from "age 16" to "age 18 or upon graduation." Superintendent Juneau was joined by Alex Apostle, Superintendent of Missoula Public Schools and Shannon Sullivan, a member of Supt. Juneau's first-ever Student Advisory Board from Butte. "Passing this bill will set a statewide expectation that all Montana students will graduate from high school," said Supt. Juneau. "In today's economic climate, it is imperative that a student earn a diploma or certificate so they have an opportunity for a good job and secure future." Based on early results of a community initiative, Graduation Matters Missoula, Superintendent Juneau launched a statewide initiative, Graduation Matters Montana, to address Montana's dropout rate. Graduation Matters Montana is a multi-pronged approach to increase the number of students who graduate from high school college- and career-ready. SB 44 is one part of the Graduation Matters Montana initiative.

MOST of Us - Save the Dates

The Center for Health and Safety Culture and MOST of Us are pleased to announce the following trainings: We will be hosting the Spring 2011 Positive Community Norms (PCN) Institute in Bozeman, MT at the Hilton Garden Inn May 17th-19th. This three day Institute provides the best opportunity to learn about the Positive Community Norms Process and the theory upon which it is built, The Science of the Positive. If you are interested in working with PCN in the future, attendance at this Institute is the beginning of your journey. Please visit our website for more information, http://www.mostofus.org/institute/pcninstitute/ . We also will host the 2011 Montana Summer Institute on July 12th-14th at the Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, MT with the Pre-Institute on July 11th. For more information please visit http://www.mostofus.org/institute/montana-summer-institute/ .

Montana AmeriCorps Program Recruiting Young Adults to Serve

The Governor's Office of Community Service announced today that Young Adult Service Corps (YASC), an AmeriCorps program of the Jobs for Montana Graduates Foundation, is currently recruiting 110 members for the 2010-2011 school year. "We are excited about our recruitment efforts this year and getting Montana's young people involved in service while earning money for college,"said Sarah Sadowski, Director for the Young Adult Service Corps. "Our AmeriCorps members gain job and leadership skills while helping their schools and home communities." Eligible young adults are age 17-24 years old and complete 300 hours of volunteer service and training from September 2010 - August 31, 2011 to earn a $1,132 Education Award that can be used toward college tuition or to pay off student loans. For more information: visit: http://www.jmgf-mt.org/or contact Sarah Sadowski at (406) 443-2413 or ssadowski@jmgf-mt.org Young Adult Service Corps projects in Montana include: reading buddies and mentors for elementary school students, helping with after school programs, helping build green-star efficient homes for income eligible families, participating in Toys for Tots, school beautification projects and more. View the YASC 2009-2010 project list at www.serve.mt.gov click on 'AmeriCorps in Montana'. "Montana's youth of today are our leaders of tomorrow," said Jan Lombardi, Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Community Service. "It is great to have them investing in service at a young age." Young Adult Service Corps is an AmeriCorps program of the Jobs for Montana Graduates Foundation. Since 2003, JMGF has delivered opportunities to help Montana's youth meet their goals. The Governor's Office of Community Service (www.serve.mt.gov) was created in 1993 to promote and expand national service and volunteer opportunities in Montana. The Governor's Office of Community Service administers the federal grant funding for Young Adult Service Corps. Connect with theGovernor's Office of Community Service on Facebook at: Serve Montana

Montana Youth Leadership Forum is recruiting delegates for 2011

Montana Youth Leadership Forum (MYLF) is in the process of recruiting delegates for MYLF 2011. MYLF serves youth with any type of disability and youth that are in their freshman through senior year are eligible and encouraged to apply.

NOVEMBER 8-14, 2010 -- NATIONAL DRUG FACTS WEEK

NOVEMBER 8-14, 2010 -- NATIONAL DRUG FACTS WEEK The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is encouraging teens to organize an event during NDFW and support them by being an adult advisor and registering an event with NIDA. National Drug Facts Week (NDFW) is an opportunity for teens to shatter the myths about drug abuse and to get answers from a scientific expert. To help local groups organize an event, NIDA provides a step-by-step how-to kit, including a list of fun activities, instructions on how to receive NIDA's NEW drug facts booklet to distribute, assistance in finding a scientific expert in your community, an online interactive quiz, and much more!

Teen birth rates drop in Montana, across U.S.

Color-coordinated nurseries, designer baby booties and gurgling infants aren't quite as appealing to today's teenagers as they might have been 70 years ago. The proof is in the numbers. The U.S. teen birth rate in 2009 fell to its lowest level in nearly seven decades of record-keeping - a trend that is mirrored in Montana - according to a recently released government report. The birth rate for U.S. teens dropped to 39 births per 1,000 girls, ages 15 through 19, according to the report. It was a 6 percent decline from the previous year, and the lowest since 1940.

Teens Distrust Online Sexual Health Info

Although most teens use the Internet daily, few consider it a main source of information about contraception or abstinence, according to a new qualitative study by Rachel K. Jones of the Guttmacher Institute and Ann E. Biddlecom of the United Nations Population Division. Additionally, in in-depth interviews at three public high schools in New York and Indiana, only a minority of the 58 study participants reported that they got any contraceptive or abstinence information online; those who accessed this information typically did so in response to a specific event (such as a school assignment) or, less commonly, to find the answer to a personal question. Most of the teens interviewed were wary of sexual health information on the Internet. The teens indicated a distrust of online information because it is often user-generated and could therefore be incorrect. Teens were most likely to trust family members (usually parents) for sexual health information; their next most trusted sources were educators, medical professionals and friends.

UNDERAGE DRINKING-RELATED EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS ON NEW YEAR'S DAY

A press release dated December 30, 2010, reported that hospital emergency department visits involving underage drinking increased more than 250 percent on New Year's Day 2009. The new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that in 2009 there were an estimated 1,980 emergency department visits involving underage drinking, compared to 546 such visits on an average day that year - a 263 percent increase. The New Year's Day underage drinking admission levels even surpassed other National holiday levels, which past SAMHSA studies have revealed often far exceed normal daily rates. For example, the 2009 New Year's Day estimate was 191 percent higher than the Memorial Day level (676) and 110 percent higher than the Fourth of July level (942).

Page last updated: 12/27/2010