"Safe Place" Summit For Putnam County's Youth Planned For Saturday, May 2 at DePauw; Community Volunteers Needed
March 31, 1998
March 31, 1998, Greencastle, Ind. - The first-ever summit on Putnam County's youth, part of a national call to action issued in the Presidents' Summit for America's Future last year, is planned on Saturday, May 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at DePauw University. County residents are encouraged to participate, and volunteers are needed to help with the summit.
The "Safe Place" Summit for Putnam County's Youth is intended as an opportunity for Putnam County residents, organizations and businesses to share their opinions, ideas and solutions to improve the quality of life for youth in Putnam County as well as to celebrate the quality of services already available for county youth. The primary funders of the summit are the Putnam County Youth Development Commission and DePauw's Bonner Scholars Program and Grover L. Hartman Center for Civic Education and Leadership. The Interfraternity Council at DePauw is a partner in the summit.
The Summit for Putnam County's Youth is a response to the Presidents' Summit for America's Future held in April 1997 in Philadelphia when President Clinton, General Colin Powell and former presidents of the United States called for efforts to create a healthier society for children. Coordinator of the Presidents' Summit was Stuart C. Lord, executive director of the Hartman Center at DePauw.
"The goal of the 'Safe Place' Summit for Putnam County's Youth is to challenge county residents to make a new commitment to improve the quality of life for our youth through service," Lord said. "We will not only seek to celebrate the local community and its involvement in the lives of its youth, but also try to find new ways in which to increase the effectiveness of this involvement."
Lord said a particular focus of the summit will be an effort to find a "safe place" where young people can gather during after-school hours for supervised activities.
Nearly 250 people are expected to participate in the local summit. Cloverdale, Greencastle, North Putnam and South Putnam school systems are all participating. There also will be delegates from churches, businesses, civic organizations, Chamber of Commerce, city and county government, and DePauw.
Community members interested in volunteering to help with the Summit for Putnam County's Youth may call the Hartman Center at (765) 658-4870. Volunteers are especially needed for the following:
- Community members to serve on the planning committee, which meets on Mondays at noon.
- Community residents to serve on the advisory committee, which meets on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. at the Hartman Center.
- Carpenters to build a "theater in the round" for the summit as well as people to help with the actual staging and production of the event.
- People to work any day prior to the summit to help with coordination of the summit, including phone calling, mailings and typing.
- Facilitators for breakout sessions on the day of the summit. Facilitators must be able to attend the summit on May 2, and they will receive training prior to the summit.
Following the summit, the community will have an opportunity to be aligned with America's Promise -- The Alliance for Youth, a multi-year, national campaign based on the mission of The Presidents' Summit for America's Future. The Alliance for Youth is working to mobilize national and local resources and commitments for young people from corporations, foundations, communities, organizations, public agencies, universities and individuals. It also will monitor progress toward goals.
Under the direction of the Hartman Center, DePauw is a member of the University Summit Advisory Board.
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