The BOLD (Building Our Lives Drug-free) Coalition brought together over thirty young people for two days of training provided by Teen Empowerment at Stanley Street Treatment and Resources on August 29th and 30th, 2007. The workshop was open to to teens from the Fall River area who wanted to learn how to organize and present a community forum. Teens began work on preparing a multimedia presentation on substance abuse awareness to be presented to the community in October during national Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31, supporting drug-free youth. Under the leadership of Sapna Padte from the Boston-based Teen Empowerment program, youth developed leadership, communication and problem-solving skills during the seven-hour workshop. Funding for the training was provided by the Fall River Women's Union, a funding agency that supports programs aiding women, children and families throughout the Greater Fall River Area. Click here for the Herald News article about the event. For more information, contact Susan Wolfson  at Stanley Street Treatment & Resources at 508-235-7032.
 

(Top row, left) Cassie McIntyre talks with Emily Medina during a warm-up exercise at the start of the two-day workshop. (Top row, center) Amanda Medeiros, Nick Farais, Jennifer Benjamin and Chelsea Jean chat during a break. (Top row, right) Teen Empowerment consultant Sapna Padte guides the group through an evaluation exercise. (Middle row, left) Sapna gives instructions to small groups on developing goals and objectives for their respective projects. (Middle row, right) Bridgette Boss holds up a worksheet showing the issues that youth face in Fall River. (Bottom row, left) TADA leader Jasiel Correia II records suggestions for evaluating the BOLD programs. (Bottom row, right) Fall River Youth Services Coordinator Christian McCloskey, right, hands out evaluation materials to the F.R.E.S.H. group members.