Lake Co. Young Ambassadors Board Applications Accepted

The Lake County State's Attorney Office is now accepting applications for its Young Ambassadors Board. Students in grades 8 to 12 are eligible to apply. Applications are available online at www.lcsao.org and are due on Sept. 7.

The Young Ambassadors Board members serve as partners to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, and are involved in various community outreach engagement efforts. Highly motivated youth looking to empower their peers and become a voice in their communities are encouraged to apply.

The Young Ambassadors Board was established in the fall of 2017. The Lake County State's Attorney's Office launched a youth group bringing together middle and high school students. The group of students attended three training sessions as part of becoming members of the YAB. After the trainings, members became a part of the Community Awareness Program (CAP). CAP is a program providing awareness to their peers and community about youth prevention programs. In addition, there is open dialogue with the office as to how the office can better educate and assist the youth of Lake County.

Members of the YAB attend monthly meetings and may be eligible to complete community service hours required by some schools. In addition, they participate in programs designed to assist schools, youth, service providers and the community. The programs include:

• Teen Dating Violence/Healthy Relationships: The committee members work on educating their peers, and on being a voice to the office about the danger of dating violence and the importance of a healthy relationship.

• Bee Safe Program: The subcommittee is designed to educate the community about younger youth who witness domestic violence within their home or neighborhood. The goal is to provide youngsters with safety guidelines and to recognize a safe person to speak to.

• Anti-Bullying Program: This program is designed to assist the community in the pledge to "Rise-Above" bullying through education materials and presentations.

• Cyber Safety: This program educates youth and community about the dangers of the cyber world and how to protect themselves as well as being safe.

Applications may be mailed or dropped off to: Lake County Children's Advocacy Center, Attn: Carrie Wings, 123 O'Plaine Road in Gurnee. Acceptance letters will be released on Sept. 13 and the first YAB meeting will be held on Sept. 20 at the Gurnee Police Department, 100 O'Plaine Road in Gurnee, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.