Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

GLENVILLE — A group of passionate Glenville-Emmons High School students and advisers is impacting their school and community for the better through an effort set up seven years ago.

Teen Advocate Group is made up of ninth- through 12th-grade students guided by co-advisers Sarah Gehring and Jill Ehrhardt. Its mission is to increase student awareness of social issues that affect teen social-emotional development and academic performance both inside and outside of school.

Ultimately they hope to cultivate a student body that has the leadership to teach others, create camaraderie, connect to the community and promote a positive attitude.

Gehring said the group got started after a new social worker came to the school and shared an idea of something similar that was taking place at Alden-Conger School. It initially started with student-led initiatives but has evolved into helping on other events as well.

The group helps brainstorm, create and lead multiple activities throughout the school year, serving not only the high school, but also the students at Glenville-Emmons Elementary and others in the community.

Gehring said they started out with a goal of hosting one event every quarter but have grown from there.

Currently, there are eight students and the two advisers in the group, and the group meets every week to plan out the events. Events are paid for through grants, sponsorships and donations. To be in the group, interested youth fill out an application that includes questions such as why they are interested, what skills they can bring, among other questions. They often recruit others to help at the events if more volunteers are needed.

Some of the events and initiatives the group has led over the years include Red Ribbon Week, which is an anti-drug and alcohol campaign; Unplugged, which encourages appropriate use and knowledge of screen time and family relationships; Chill Day, which encourages good mental health choices; Parent’s Night Out; “What’s in a Snap?,” which is a digital citizenship presentation; Santa Shop with the Glenville Women of Today; and a Kindness Coffee Bar. They also do various Earth Week activities, mental health initiatives, collection drives and kindness cards.

Senior Chelsea Medina said she particularly likes the Unplugged event and seeing how happy the other students can be without their devices and when they spend quality time with their families.

As a recovering alcoholic, Ehrhardt said the Red Ribbon Week is especially important to her.

“It’s important for me that these kids know there are consequences for their actions,” Ehrhardt said. She also wants them to know it’s not taboo and they can reach out. The event typically includes real-life speakers who have had challenges with the issue.

Gehring spoke about the expansion of their Chill Day, which traditionally has been the day before the winter break, and turned that into a Chill Week, focusing on the importance of rest and exercise, of being yourself and of mental health. The week culminates with fun, service projects and games.

Some of the other events the group has taken part of include a year-end celebration, an Easter egg hunt and serving coffee for the Veterans Day breakfast at the elementary school.