Early in February, three Belle Fourche High School students experienced a memorable, life enhancing experience. Courtesy of the ABC Coalition of Butte County, the three students Danielle Vetter, Lydia Main, and Lexi Pickett attended the annual CADCA conference.
The girls were accompanied on the trip by Holly Main, the drug and alcohol prevention teacher at Belle Fourche Middle School.
The girls are members of the Youth Leadership Team (YLT), a student organization that advocates for substance use prevention and better mental health for the community. YLT Faculty advisors are Stephanie Muselik, and Mary Day. YLT is open to all high school students and has a large following.
CADCA stands for “Community-Based, Advocacy-Focused, Data-Driven, Coalition-Building Association.
The Youth Leadership team is aligned with CADCA’s goals to drive positive change for im- proved mental health locally.
CADCA is a national organization that equips coalitions such as the ABC Coalition of Butte County with tools, knowledge, and support needed to create positive change in their communities,
The conference lasted for four days. There were over 4,000 attendees from around the world, 100 workshops to choose from, various speakers, exhibits, and an interesting trade show that featured a larger-than-life size model of a human brain.
“We learned a lot.” Lydia Main explained. “We learned how important it is for nursing homes and everyone to dispose of prescription drugs safely.” The girls reflected on what they learned about the role of police and firefighters in promoting community safety. There was a great deal of information to take in.
An additional highlight of the trip was Capitol Hill Day on the third day of the conference. On this day, the girls enjoyed the opportunity to meet South Dakota Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune as well as Congressional Representative Dusty Johnson.
The girls returned to school with a PowerPoint show they shared with other members of the YLT and with the ABC Coalition members at the February meeting.
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