YES! Safe Choices for Kids

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

2012-02-21T10:56:00.004-08:00

The month of February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. The month is a national effort to raise awareness about the dangers of teenagers and young adults in abusive relationships.

The primary tool to awareness is education, and countless organizations including youth groups, student governments, and even Congress, who began dedicating the month of February to violence awareness in 2010, promote all kinds of activities during the month to bring this issue to the forefront and teach healthy dating habits.

The long term effects of teen violence and bullying are impossible to ignore and affect far more than the just victims. Their families, friends and communities can all be negatively impacted as well. So join with the many student groups and national organizations that have decided take a stand against dating violence.

For more information on Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, visit http://www.teendvmonth.org/.

New York State Takes a Strong Stand Against Bullying

2012-01-26T08:26:00.000-08:00

On September 13, 2010, New York State Governor Paterson signed The Dignity Act, a bill designed to provide students with an environment that was safe from discrimination, harassment and bullying. This bill was created in the hope that all students could ride to and attend school or school functions free from any negative harassment.

One of the main focuses of the Act is on in-school education, and requires schools to provide increased education on civility, tolerance and respect for others regardless of differences in race, religion, ability or sexual orientation. School districts will also be required to include more direct language relating to The Dignity Act in their Code of Conduct.

It's hoped that by increasing education and tolerance, bullying can be minimized, and students will be able to feel comfortable and confident when they attend school. While the law doesn't take effect until July 1, 2012, many districts have already begun to implement some of the requirements into their curricula.

For more information of The Dignity Act, visit their Department of Education page.

You can also stay regularly updated on The Dignity For All Students Act by liking their Facebook page.

Eating Good Foods and Being Active for Healthy Weight Week

2012-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

The main goal of YES! Safe Choices for Kids is preventing bullying and alcohol and drug abuse as well as teaching resistance skills and the importance of being a good role model. By teaching kids the importance of steering clear of alcohol and drugs, we're raising healthier future generations and communities.

But another great way that kids can stay healthy is by eating healthy!

January 15th-21st marks National Healthy Weight Week in the United States. The week focuses on the need for an active lifestyle and eating healthy in order to improve long term physical and mental health.

So take some time this week to talk to your kids about the importance of eating well, being active, and feeling great about themselves for making healthy choices.

For more information on National Healthy Weight Week, visit www.healthyweight.net/hww.

New Year, New Things in Store

2012-01-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

With the holidays over, our YES! LEADS groups are back in full storm.

In the beginning of December, Tioga Central held their first round of presentations, spending a week visiting different middle school classes. Maine-Endwell's YES! LEADers visited both of their elementary schools just before the Christmas break.

Next week, Susquehanna Valley's YES! LEADS group will begin their 5th grade presentations, starting with their first of four visits covering alcohol, tobacco, peer pressure, and finally, bullying.

With a new year comes lot of new, exciting plans. Be sure to check YesSafeChoices.org frequently to stay up-to-date on videos, pictures and more from presentations and other events.

Where Did November Go?

2011-11-30T07:52:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that December is already here.

In the last month, YES! completed 16 of our 17 YES! Launch trainings, in addition wrapping up our Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest. We received hundreds of great entries from all three counties, and even two entries from California! And just around the corner is our Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest Reception to honor the winners with a special reception and present them with their Toys 'R Us gift cards.

Several of our YES! LEADS schools have already started their Community Outreach Projects, Bainbridge-Guilford held their annual Fall Movie Night, featuring the movie "Cars 2", and just before Thanksgiving, Maine-Endwell's YES! LEADers also had their Movie Night, showing the movie "Zookeeper". Coming up this weekend, two more YES! LEADS groups, Union-Endicott and Tioga Central, will have their movie nights, featuring the movies "The Santa Clause" and "Zookeeper", respectively.

Next week, Tioga Central's YES! LEADers will kick off their presentations with the 5th and 6th grade classes in their district. December will also feature presentations from our Bainbridge-Guilford, Maine-Endwell and Waverly YES! LEADers.

November was a busy month, and it looks like YES! Safe Choices for Kids is going to be wondering what happened to December in a month!

YES! Launches Their Yearly Trainings

2011-11-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy two weeks at YES! Safe Choices for Kids.

Last week marked the start of the annual YES! Launch trainings for each YES! LEADS group. So far, six of our YES! LEADS groups have participated in the four hour training featuring a variety of get-to-know-you, communication, team building and leadership activities aimed at building the interpersonal relationship between YES! LEADers. The training also featured a new session this year, centered on classroom management and personal public speaking.

The last hour of training is for new YES! LEADers only, and features a discussion on alcohol and it's effects on the body, and then a point-by-point breakdown of how the YES! LEADS presentations in the elementary schools will be set up.

These trainings have been a lot of fun and while we're busy, we look forward to our upcoming trainings in the next few weeks.

Red Ribbon Week Wraps Up, But Our Poster Contest Goes On!

2011-10-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Many of our YES! LEADS Districts put in some extra time this week to push Red Ribbon Week in their elementary schools. Some schools had special assemblies, with others hosting a free event for their school and even others going to classrooms to hand out Red Ribbon Week goodies. At R.T. Stank Middle School, they hosted Spirit Week this past week with each day having a special theme, ending with Red Day where all students wore red to show their support for staying drug and alcohol free. They even made a promo video of all the fun things that happened during the week at their school which you can watch here.

Red Ribbon Week is a national drug and alcohol prevention effort that runs from October 23rd to the 31st. The tradition of displaying Red Ribbons as a symbol of intolerance towards the use of drugs began in 1985. Today, Red Ribbon Week is one of the largest drug prevention programs in the nation.

Every year for Red Ribbon Week, YES! Safe Choices for Kids hosts a poster contest for YES! LEADS elementary schools. This provides a fun opportunity for kids to learn valuable lessons about drugs, alcohol and the importance of making safe choices. Every year, we get hundreds of AWESOME entries from across the Southern Tier, and we can't wait to see what posters come back to our office on November 23rd!

For more information on our Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest, visit http://www.yessafechoices.org/.

October is Bullying Prevention Month

2011-10-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

In recent years, elementary teachers have begun asking our YES! LEADS groups to focus on a new topic during their presentations: bullying.

Bullying has always been a problem in schools, but the advent of social networking has created new ways for students to pick on one another. Cyberbullying off the playground has become a newer problem recently, and in several instances has led to unfortunate consequences.

YES! Safe Choices for Kids and our YES! LEADS groups are joining together with other school organizations to celebrate National Bullying Prevention Month. Our Windsor YES! LEADS group will be doing presentations at Windsor Middle School highlighting the dangers of bullying, as well as ways to be a good friend.

Everyone can help make their school districts a bully-free zone, whether it's talking to your kids about bullying and how it can affect someone else or intervening in situations where bullying is out of hand.

So join YES! in celebrating National Bullying Prevention Month.

School Is In Session

2011-09-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a tough time in our community for the past two weeks.

As quickly as the first day of school started, it ended, with many districts having to delay the start due to transportation and construction concerns brought about by the water. Many of these districts were our YES! LEADS districts, and we wish the community and our schools the best as they try to rebuild and return to normal.

With school in session, we at YES! have begun developing this year's YES! LEADS training sessions, which we hope to start by the end of October. We're creating all new activities aimed at team building, communication and leadership skills, as well as ways that our LEADers can communicate effectively to elementary students to ensure the lessons are being passed on.

We look forward to another fun year with our YES! LEADS groups.

Another First Day of School for Everyone

2011-09-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

As quickly as it came, summer has officially ended with the start of another school year today.

This summer, YES! held several different events, including Super Splash Day, BeachBQ and a special B-Mets 20th Anniversary Season Game, all of which had a great turn out and were a lot of fun for everyone. In addition, the YES! offices moved to a new, updated location; a big undertaking, but one that we're adjusting to nicely.

It was a fun summer, but with today marking the first day of school, it's time for us to start planning for the school year. We've got some great things in store this year; new events, a revamped training and some other surprises along the way! We're looking forward to another fun year with our YES! LEADers, and we hope they are too!

So we wish everyone a great first day back and school, and another exciting year. Be sure to check out our website and our Facebook page for updates as the year rolls on!

A Successful Night Celebrating 20 Seasons

2011-08-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

On Monday, August 22nd, YES! Safe Choices for Kids hosted their one-and-only 20th Season Anniversary Bonus Game with the B-Mets, a night game at NYSEG Stadium featuring our very own B-Mets taking on the Erie SeaWolves.

Families across the Southern Tier had the opportunity to request free tickets to this game through YES!'s website, and during the month of August, nearly 2,000 tickets were mailed out. As a special bonus, the game fell on Markdown Monday, where many concessions were priced at their 1992 inaugural season prices.

Senator Libous came out and enjoyed the evening too, handing out free YES! t-shirts and candy to fans who were cheering the loudest.

Nearly 3,000 B-Mets fans turned out for what was a great night, especially when the B-Mets ended up beating the SeaWolves, 2-0.

Make sure to head over to www.YesSafeChoices.org to check out our pictures from this fun family evening.

Just A Few Days Remain...

2011-08-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

We're less than a week away from our special 20th Anniversary Season Bonus B-Mets Game on Monday, August 22nd, and we've mailed out more than 1,800 tickets to families throughout the Southern Tier for what promises to be a fun night!

In order to ensure that all tickets are delivered by Monday, today is the last day that families can register for tickets to this exclusive night game, so make sure you head over to www.YesSafeChoices.org and get your requests in today!

Ticket Requests are Pouring Into the YES! Offices

2011-08-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

Our ticket request form for YES!'s special 20th Anniversary Season Bonus B-Mets game has been online for less than a week and we've already received requests for almost 1,300 tickets! This is a great response for local families looking to spend a night together before it's back to school time.

We're still two weeks away from the B-Mets taking on the Erie SeaWolves, and we're looking to pack NYSEG Stadium with B-Mets fans, so be sure to tell all your friends about this free game where most concessions will be also be marked down to their 1992 Season prices.

We look forward to seeing you and your family at the game!

A Special Summer Bonus

2011-08-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

In honor of the Binghamton Mets' 20th Season, YES! will be hosting a special 20th Season Anniversary Bonus Game on Monday, August 22nd for families across the Southern Tier. This game will be a night game with the first pitch thrown at 6:35 PM.

While families will stay dry during this game, there will still be a special bonus on this night. All concessions will be priced as they were during the B-Mets inaugural 1992 Season, so all hot dogs, sodas and cracker jacks will be marked down.

Phone calls are going out to over 10,000 families with information on how to register for tickets, so it's important to get ticket requests in as soon as possible!

As with Super Splash Day, tickets can be requested using the registration form on our website, www.YesSafeChoices.org. In order to guarantee that all tickets are delivered in time for this special game, all requests must be received by Wednesday, July 17th.

We hope that you'll join us for the special night!

Having a Fun Summer, Safely

2011-07-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Summertime means one thing: time to get outside and take advantage of all the warm weather and beauty that comes with an increase in temperature. Sports, bike rides, walks, swimming; they're all big advantages to summer weather.

However, there are a couple dangers kids face when outside in the blazing sun for extended periods of time, and simple things that can be done to eliminate them.

Make sure that you and your kids wear sunscreen when you're going to be outdoors for extended periods of time. If you go swimming, be sure to wear waterproof sunscreen or reapply according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Sunburns are no fun, especially for kids.

Staying hydrated is an important part of summer fun. Kids should drink 6-8 glasses of water per day. When they're playing outdoors, make sure to take them water so they don't get overheated.

Even the lightest of falls on a bike can have bad results, so make sure your kids wear a helmet every time they decide to ride their bike, even if it's in your driveway.

Finally, make sure that you're ready for summer scrapes. Pick up a basic first aid kit at any department store, or update the one you already have and make sure the supplies are fresh. A well-stocked first aid kit is always a good idea to have around!

Summer provides tons of opportunities for you and your kids to have fun, and making sure to do it safely will only make summer memories better!

Families Keep Cool at Super Splash Day

2011-07-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

YES! Safe Choices for Kids held their annual Super Splash Day with the Binghamton Mets today, marking another successful afternoon for local families!

Over 6,000 free tickets were mailed out to local families, providing them the opportunity to spend time together in a safe and fun environment. Families could choose to sit in the Wet Zone, where B-Mets staff used hoses, squirt guns and buckets of water to keep families cool while they enjoyed the game. For others who weren't so fond of getting wet, the Dry Zone provided some shelter from all the watery mayhem going on all around.

It was a fun afternoon for everyone. B-Mets stadium was packed, the weather was hot, and the B-Mets took home the win with a score of 10-4!

Be sure to check out www.YesSafeChoices.org for pictures and video from this great event.

A Day of New People, Food and Fun!

2011-07-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

After months of planning, we had our second EXCLUSIVE YES! LEADS BeachBQ complete with a totally revamped YES! Amazing Race on Thursday, June 30th.

After an unfortunate delay due to the weather, about 40 YES! LEADers along with several staff members arrived at Greenwood Park on Thursday morning ready for a day of fun.

The morning was a free time period, and many LEADers used that time to get an energetic game of Wiffleball going, or took to the sand pit to play some beach volleyball.

Lunch was delicious bar-b-que provided by Brooks' out of Oneonta. LEADers were treated to their choice of either bbq chicken, pulled pork, or a veggie burger.

After lunch, teams were created for our totally revamped YES! Amazing Race. Teams had time to get to meet each other, come up with a team name, and create their team flag. Once the Amazing Race started, YES! LEADers were treated to a variety of different activities including shaving a balloon, dunking their face in pudding, eating a Jello cup through a straw and a couple different relays on their way towards the Ice Cream Truck Finish. Every team received a prize, whether it was 1st, 2nd or 3rd Place, Best Sportsmanship, Best Name or Flag, and even Last Place.

At the end of the day, YES! LEADers who were in attendance received an extra special gift: an exclusive YES! LEADS Hoodie!

It was a great day, full of fun activities and good times.

Be sure to check out our website for Pictures and Videos from this year's BeachBQ.

A Fun Day with the B-Mets Awaits!

2011-06-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

Every summer, YES! Safe Choices for Kids hosts Super Splash Day, a free Binghamton Mets game available to local families. Once again, YES! is proud to sponsor this really fun event and provide families with a great opportunity to spend time together.

Last summer, over 5,000 tickets were mailed out to families across the Southern Tier. The tickets are free and the game features a wet zone where B-Mets employees walk around with buckets of water and squirt guns and help people keep cool in the summer heat. If water doesn't suit you, come out and enjoy the game from the designated dry zones.

This year's Super Splash Day will be on July 7th, with the opening pitch being thrown at 1:05 PM.

Tickets to Super Splash Day can be requested by visiting www.YesSafeChoices.org. While you're there, be sure to check out our Gallery for pictures from last year's Super Splash Day!

Tioga Central YES! LEADers Show the Dangers of Drunk Driving

2011-05-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

Tioga Central High School's YES! LEADers showed the dangers of drunk driving to their junior and senior classmates during an emotional and graphic mock crash scene Thursday afternoon.

YES! LEADers David Ulrich, Cassie Chambers and Katie Hutchison teamed up with five other Tioga Central High School students to portray a grizzly car accident scene where two cars collided in the morning following a night of drinking, with two of the students being killed in the crash. Tioga Central and Nichols fire departments and emergency services responded to the scene with assistance from the Tioga County Sheriff's Department and narration by a New York State Trooper.

The presentation lasted almost an hour and illustrated the amount of time it takes to be rescued in a situation like this, with one student being arrested for having alcohol on his breath. The students were taken out in ambulances and the coroner showed up towards the end to take out one of the deceased students.

Following the demonstration, the students returned inside, where the Trooper showed the long term ramifications of the accident using realistic descriptions of how each person's life would be affected from that point on. Students then listened to a real, unedited 911 phone call from a drunk driving accident that had occurred locally one year before where two of the passengers were killed. A moving testimony from the first fireman on the scene of this same accident and one of the students involved in the mock crash brought several students to tears and really put the afternoon in perspective.

It was a very dramatic, emotional afternoon that effectively displayed how one bad decision can affect your life forever.

To check out pictures from Tioga Central's mock drunk driving accident, click here.

Vestal Wraps Up Their Presentations

2011-05-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

Today, Vestal High School YES! LEADers concluded their tour of elementary schools at Tioga Hills Elementary, presenting to students on the dangers of smoking, alcohol and peer pressure.

Over the last month, the LEADers visited Tioga Hills, Vestal Hills, African Road, Clayton Avenue and Glenwood Elementary Schools and presented to over 350 elementary students. They used coffee stirrers to illustrate the effects of smoking, marshmallows to show how difficult alcohol can make it to be understood, and Stop Signs and the Friendship Quiz to show how peer pressure can be both a good and bad thing.

Along with these activities, the LEADers provided tools to the kids by teaching them the "10 Ways to Make Safe Choices".

Next week, Windsor High School's YES! LEADers will begin their presentation tour of their elementary schools.

Chenango Valley LEADers Present to 150 Students

2011-04-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, April 27th, the YES! LEADers from Chenango Valley High School visited Chenango Bridge Elementary school and presented to 150 students in six classrooms.

The YES! LEADers spent an hour with their classes and covered several topics during this time including drugs, alcohol, and different resistance skills to help them deal with peer pressure. The kids were able to use Fatal Vision goggles to simulate the effects of alcohol on the body, eat marshmallows to see how drugs and alcohol make simple tasks like talking much more difficult, and see how their decisions can affect their lives with the post-it note activity, "Truth and Consequences: What Do I Have Left?".

To check out pictures and videos from these presentations and others, be sure to check out www.YesSafeChoices.org.

Susquehanna Valley Wraps Up Their Presentations

2011-04-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the final session in Susquehanna Valley High School's presentations at Donnelly and Brookside Elementary. Since January, the LEADers have visited both schools monthly and established relationships with three 5th grade classes at each school. These sessions allowed them to cover many different topics related to safe choices including drugs and alcohol, peer pressure, being a good friend and using resistance skills. The LEADers and the kids both seemed sad to have to end their times together.

Yesterday also marked Vestal YES! LEADers fourth presentation session, this time at Vestal Hills Elementary. The LEADers have so far visited African Road, Clayton Avenue, Glenwood and Vestal Hills Elementary Schools and are hoping to get to Tioga Hills soon. Their presentations are focused on drugs and alcohol and using the "10 Ways to Make Safe Choices" to resist peer pressure.

Both presentations debuted the new YES! LEADS "Ask Me What I've Learned About Making Safe Choices Today" stickers that were a hit with both the LEADers and elementary students, with one LEADer on the record as saying, "I hope there are extras!"

Student Community Service

2011-04-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Today, the winners of the Student Community Service Award Scholarships were announced, and YES! Safe Choices for Kids is proud that three of our YES! LEADers were recognized for their outstanding community service! The winners are Hannah Runyon from Norwich High School, Katie Hutchison from Tioga Central High School and Emily Hutchinson from Unadilla Valley High School.

31 high school students from Broome, Tioga and Chenango Counties received these scholarships in total. The SCSA Scholarships were created as a means to recognize exceptional students who work hard and volunteer to make their communities a better place, regardless of how this service rewards them. Through their hard work and dedication, lives of others in the community are able to be impacted in a positive way.

So congratulations again to Hannah, Katie and Emily! You deserve it!

To check out our SCSA Winners Page, click here.

To see the full list of SCSA winners, click here.

Second LEADership Advisory Committee Meeting

2011-04-06T06:32:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, April 3rd, YES! Safe Choices for Kids invited their LEADership Advisory Committee members to their second meeting of the year. Unlike other meetings that generally take place at the YES! Offices, the LEADers requested that the second meeting be done at a restaurant, so they were invited to a lunch meeting at Cortese in Binghamton.

While enjoying delicious Italian food, YES! LEADers used the time together to discuss their recent presentations, their Community Outreach Projects, and provide input back to YES! administrators on different aspects of YES! LEADS.

In addition, the YES! LEADers in attendance learned Top Secret information about this year's Rewards Event and had a chance to provide their input as to what this year's Reception gift will be.

Some new ideas for future events were also proposed including a YES! LEADers Talent Show and other events throughout the year.

All in all, it was a very productive meeting, and we look forward to using the information to continue to improve YES! Safe Choices for Kids and YES! LEADS.

Tons of Great Presentations!

2011-04-05T09:32:00.001-07:00

Over the last two weeks, we've had several GREAT presentations from our YES! LEADers.

Today alone, our YES! LEADers from Vestal High School, Jennie F. Snapp Middle School and Norwich High School are putting on presentations for elementary students in their districts.

YES! LEADers from Norwich, Seton Catholic and Jennie F. Snapp will all finish out the week with another round of presentations. In the last two weeks, elementary schools in the Vestal, Tioga Central, Norwich, Union-Endicott and Susquehanna Valley Districts have all heard positive messages about making good choices and have been given tools to help them if they're ever victims of negative peer pressure.

On Friday, YES! LEADers from Owego Free Academy had their first movie night of the year, showing the movie "Yogi Bear" for free to families in the district. RT Stank had another Fun Night for their students.

It's safe to say that things are truckin' along at YES! Safe Choices for Kids and we look forward to more great presentations in the coming weeks.

Another Year, Another Farm Days

2011-03-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

The Oakdale Mall saw the return of the annual Farm Days for 2011.

38 YES! LEADers showed up to volunteer at the Buy from the Backyard and BOOKS Program tables. LEADers working the Buy from the Backyard table walked around, talking to people and getting them to take a quiz on local produce and farms and register to win a basket of goodies. LEADers working the BOOKS table handed out bags and worked with young children, helping them make creative bookmarks.

With the help of these 38 YES! LEADers, families were able to come together and spend time having fun at another successful Farm Days at the Oakdale Mall.

Community Outreach is Ramping Up

2011-03-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

With Spring approaching quickly (despite today's weather), our YES! LEADers are going forward with their presentations, spreading the importance of making safe decisions and avoiding peer pressure. Our LEADers from Bainbridge-Guilford High School, Susquehanna Valley High School and RT Stank Middle School gave their presentations recently, with Maine-Endwell High School, Seton Catholic High School, Owego Free Academy and Jennie F. Snapp Middle School having their presentations in the next month.

Along with presentations, Community Outreach Projects are also getting together. Family movie nights are being sponsored in Owego, Bainbridge-Guilford and Maine-Endwell featuring "Despicable Me" and "How to Train Your Dragon" are happening in the next few weeks. Recently, RT Stank's YES! LEADS group held their annual Fun Night allowing students to come out and enjoy video games, inflatable obstacle courses and more.

As always, you can check out pictures and find out more information about our YES! LEADS Community Outreach Project at www.YesSafeChoices.org on our Events page.

Check out our Youtube Channel!

2011-02-16T07:09:00.000-08:00

Last week, we launched our YES! Safe Choices for Kids Youtube Channel in an effort to make sure that all of our videos to date are in one location as we update our site with newer videos in 2011.

So check it out and let us know what you think! We've uploaded videos from LEADers presentations, trainings, Rewards Trips and community events. You can view our Channel by clicking here.

With presentations ramping up as Spring approaches (R.T. Stank Middle School will be presenting to elementary students at Brookside Elementary tomorrow), more videos are going to be on the way, so be sure and check back often!

As always, you can catch our videos at our website, www.YesSafeChoices.org.

Presentations Begin and LEADers Meet

2011-01-31T09:36:00.000-08:00

As January comes to a close, LEADers are beginning to visit their local elementary schools and present to students on the dangers of drugs, alcohol and making bad decisions. Last week, LEADers from Susquehanna Valley presented to 4th and 5th graders at Donnelly and Brookside Elementary Schools, and LEADers from Bainbridge-Guilford presented to 2nd-5th graders at Greenlawn Elementary. These presentations have been excellent, and elementary students have been receptive to the positive messages that they've been taught.

Coming up this week, YES! LEADers from RT Stank Middle School will also be doing their first presentations, and we look forward to checking them out.

On Saturday, we also held our first LEADership Advisory Committee meeting of the year, inviting our representatives from each group to come and meet each other as well as discuss where their groups stand on different issues. The topics covered included our fall trainings, Community Outreach Projects and this year's Rewards Event. It proved informative not just for YES! staff, but for the LEADers as well as they were able t0 voice concerns and problems they were having, and bounce ideas off of each other in order to try and help solve them.

YES! Safe Choices for Kids is looking to host another of these meetings in March or April.

YES! LEADers Spent the Weekend Bowling

2011-01-17T07:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend, YES! Safe Choices for Kids held its second Rock and Bowl Weekend, inviting LEADers to come spend the afternoon bowling at either Midway Lanes on Saturday, or Sunset Lanes in Kirkwood.

Over 75 LEADers come out for these afternoons of fun, enjoying delicious pizza and having the opportunity to meet LEADers from other schools. Prizes were given out to several lucky winners and Senator Libous dropped by to meet with the LEADers.

It was a fun weekend, and we hope to offer this opportunity again next year.

To check out pictures from both of these dates, click here!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T13:08:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011, everyone!

The start of a new year offers a chance for reflection and growth, and often times people make resolutions to change something for the better in the upcoming year. For some, it's getting in shape and going to the gym. For others, it's quitting something, like smoking.

It's never too early to make a New Year's Resolution. Choosing one requires introspection and evaluating what you'd like to see change in your life and thinking about how you want to go about making these changes.

If you have your children make a resolution, you're instilling reflection and evaluation into their lives, and the earlier they learn these skills, the better off they'll be.

At YES! Safe Choices for Kids, we look forward to an exciting new year full of opportunity and we wish you and your family a great year too!

YES! LEADS Rewards Reception

2010-05-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, May 19th, we held our annual YES! LEADS Rewards Reception. As usual, we had our dessert buffet available to our LEADers and their guests, plus this year we gave our LEADers a chance to get their picture taken in a photobooth!

Over 500 LEADers and their guests were in attendance, and every LEADer was rewarded with an exclusive t-shirt! In addition, 39 graduating LEADers who have gone into their elementary schools and been great role models in the community for four years were honored. We also gave away three scholarships to LEADers who have been excellent examples of a leader and a role model during their time with YES! LEADS. Tim Gaige from Windsor High School was our First Place Winner, Annie Derzanovich from Vestal High School was our Second Place Winner, and Marissa Miller from Tioga Central High School won our Third Place Scholarship.

Senator Libous and Tim Gaige revealed our YES! LEADS Rewards Event for students who met the goal of 175 points throughout the year. This year, on July 13th, all eligible YES! LEADers are invited to go to Six Flags Great Escape for the day!

It was a very exciting night, and we look forward to an exciting summer! Congratulations to our scholarship winners and our 4 Year LEADers!

To check out pictures from this year's Rewards Reception, visit our Gallery.

Great Job and Keep Going!

2010-04-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

First, a big congratulations to LEADers from Owego Free Academy and Jennie F. Snapp Middle School on their first presentations over the last few weeks that were a success! Your hard work really showed through.

Also, congratulations to Owego Free Academy and RT Stank Middle School on their recent Community Outreach Projects! In the next couple weeks, best of luck to the YES! LEADS groups from Unadilla Valley and Harpursville as they have their Community Outreach Projects. Check out our Events page for upcoming events from all of our YES! LEADS schools!

Remember, LEADers, your Rewards Cards are due before the YES! LEADS Reception of May 19th, so be working hard on your presentations, meetings and Community Outreach Projects if you want to take part in our Rewards Event, which is promising to be a lot of fun!

You can check out our Events page and more at www.yessafechoices.org.

Way to go YES! LEADers!

2010-03-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

I've had the privilege of attending most of the presentations up to this point, and I just wanted to take a moment and let our LEADers know that they're doing a GREAT job!

The groups are engaging, the activities are fun, and most importantly, the elementary students are learning how to make smart choices that they can take with them going into the future. It's obvious that all of our LEADers have worked hard preparing for these presentations and they should be proud of themselves.

Head on over to YES! Safe Choices for Kids and check out our Gallery and Videos of the presentations and Community Outreach Projects that our YES! LEADers have put on up to this point.

Nice Job M-E

2010-01-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a shout out to M-E YES! LEADers Erika, Brittney, Andrea, Dan and Kyle for a great job presenting to Homer Brink's Morning Program.

These students spoke to students in K-2 about bullying and why it's important to be a good friend.

Check out pictures from the presentation here.

YES! Launch

2009-11-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

WOW! December is here! It's been a very busy time at YES! We're in the midst of completing our YES! Launch training sessions.

So far, we've visited Tioga, Waverly, U-E, CV, Harpursville, Norwich, U-V and Vestal. All of the schools will have completed this training by Christmas break!

Two weeks ago we welcomed 100 YES! LEADers for two days of bowling fun at Midway and Sunset Lanes. It was a great time. Thanks to those who came out. Be sure to check out the pictures from the events in our photo gallery.

We finally wrapped up our Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest. We honored all of our winners at various receptions in Chenango, Broome and Tioga counties. A special thank you to our Leadership Advisory members that joined us to present the winners with their prizes.

Starting on Wednesday, Tioga will give the first YES! LEADS presentations of the year. I'm very excited to get our there to see them. I'll let you know how it goes!

YES! Ignites

2009-10-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Today we hosted our YES! Ignites training program (formerly known as First Day Training). Over 500 middle and high school students from Tioga, Chenango and Broome counties packed the Binghamton Regency to attend workshops on presentation tips, public speaking and leadership skills.

We were also very lucky to have Ed Gerety on hand for a powerful opening keynote. Ed provided lots of laughs, but his message of leadership and stepping up to the plate left each YES! LEADer with something to think about. Ty Sells from Youth to Youth International in Ohio finished off our day with a memorable closing keynote. Ty challenged each YES! LEADer to make a difference everyday.

YES! LEADers will receive one more day of training before they prepare to go into elementary classrooms.

YES! Ignites provided YES! LEADers with the opportunity to meet new students from other schools. It’s always great to see them interacting and getting to know one another. It also gives them a chance to get new ideas from other schools.

While it’s a busy day for all of our YES! LEADers it’s the official beginning of a year full of great experiences.

Getting Ready For a GREAT Year!

2009-10-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks, YES! has been traveling to all of the schools gearing up for our new year of ADSIP! We have lots of great things planned this year including some new events for our Peer Leaders to enjoy.

All of our groups are getting ready to end our YES! Ignites event on October 20th. This year our annual event will feature two great keynote speakers: Ty Sells and Ed Gerety. We’re very excited to have these two outstanding motivational speakers join us. Workshops will be presented on leadership skills, team building, presentation tips, and information on the current drug drugs. This training will help all of our Peer Leaders as they prepare in the next several months to give their own presentations to elementary students.

Also, a special congratulations goes out to Sarah Wheeler, a senior from Susquehanna Valley High School, who has been named our October Student of the Month. Be sure to check out our YES! Student of the Month recognition announcement during each Binghamton Senators home game. Keep up the great work Sarah!

Back To School Time

2009-08-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

Backpacks are brimming with supplies and new outfits hang in the closet ready for the first day of school. Children across the Southern Tier are looking forward to the start of the school year next week, as are many parents. The return of school is an exciting time. However, in that excitement there can be anxiety. Children are facing new classes, teachers, friends and sometimes entirely new schools. Have you talked with your child about the beginning of the school year? What are their thoughts about the first day? Their answers might surprise you.

If your child expresses some anxiety try some of the following steps to calm their fears about the return to school:

* Listen to them, sometimes listening to your child and assuring them that their anxiety is natural and normal is the best thing you can do.

* Call the school and arrange a tour before school starts. A before school open house is common for kindergarteners, but isn’t always available for older students. If you call the school, there might be a time you and your child can stop by and see the classroom before school begins.

* Share a story with your child about your days in school. Remember that “mean” teacher that turned out to be your favorite, or what about the friends you met and the games you played. Kids love to hear stories about their parents and grandparents childhoods.

* Make a special craft for the first day. Having a customized folder or pencil box can be a nice reminder of home on the first day of school. Check out this new back to school family fun activity.

* Leave a lunch note. Slip a note into their lunch box on the first day of school letting you know you’re proud of them. For older students, try something small, like a smiley face or a heart on their sandwich bag. They will know it’s there, but their friends won’t.

Back to school is an exciting time for families, by taking some time and listening to your child you can insure their return to school is as smooth as possible.

Movie Night Under the Stars

2009-07-17T09:58:00.001-07:00

Tonight, we'll be hosting our Movie Night Under the Stars in Owego. Sadly, the rain has forced us to move the event inside the Tioga County Boys & Girls Club, but it will still be a great time.

We've mailed out 600 tickets to families in Western Broome and Tioga Counties. Members from our high school ADSIP (Alcohol & Drug Student Information Program) will be on hand to present "movie trailers".

We'll be showing the awesome adventure movie "The Goonies" on a 26 FOOT SCREEN! It should be a great time. Can't wait to see you there!

Super Splash Day

2009-07-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

Today, we welcomed thousands of families to our Super Splash Day game with the Binghamton Mets

Super Splash Day was a free family fun day for parents and children that included a wet zone that allowed families to beat the heat with water games and squirt guns. Some families enjoyed the game from the dry zone.

It was a hot day out there today, so the wet zone cooled people down.

Thanks for coming out to the ballpark today. We hope you had a great time!

ADSIP BeachBQ

2009-07-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, 91 Peer Leaders joined us for our first ever ADSIP BeachBQ held at Green Lakes State Park. Despite the rainy weather we've experienced lately here in New York, the rain held off and we were able to enjoy a nice day at a beautiful park.

This was an exclusive invitation only event. Out of our 500 Peer Leaders, only 221 were invited to join us. We ventured to Syracuse with three chartered buses. Upon arriving at the park, Peer Leaders had the change to swim, enjoy the brand new playground, take a hike around the gorgeous lake, and play volleyball.

Brooks BBQ provided us with a delicious meal!

After eating, we embarked on our YES! Amazing Race. With 16 teams competing, Peer Leaders had to complete tasks like the Egg Toss, a 6 Legged Race, our Cupcake Conundrum, Trivia, and the Combination Hunt. Packs A Punch was the team that came in with a time of 34 minutes and 12 seconds. The Hawaiian Hotties were a close second, coming in only 29 seconds behind.

All the teams had a great time competing. It was a fun time!

Thanks to all those who joined on our trip.

We hope to had a great time!