The O'Neill Community Center was the location of a free event that welcomed more than 300 junior high and high school age youth and more than 70 adults to hear Christian relationship and sexuality educator Shelly Donahue. Funding of the event was largely provided by full service grant money distributed through the Holt/Boyd Community Connections Collaborative. The event was held on the Wednesday evening of February 21st, with two separate age-appropriate sessions for junior high and high school students. Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center hosted the evening, and multiple churches and businesses sponsored prizes for attendance incentive drawings that were held at the conclusion of each assembly. The presentations brought in youth and adults from more than 12 different communities and churches in north central Nebraska, as both youth and adults gathered to listen to Donahue talk about various topics including how guys and girls think differently, sex vs. sexuality, media messages, what intimacy means, effects of pornography, and how to wait for sex until marriage by raising the bar of sexual self control in their lives. Earlier in the week, Donahue also presented to an estimated 250 students and adults at three assemblies and a public parent meeting at Stuart Public School, and three assemblies for the school of Bassett/Springview. Feedback collected at the conclusion of each of the assemblies was overwhelmingly positive, with multiple requests for Donahue to visit additional schools in north central Nebraska in the near future. Further details about these and similar events are available by contacting Beginnings Director Mandy Chavez at 402-336-4343, and more information about Shelly Donahue can be found at www.shellydonahue.net (0) COMMENTSWelcome to the discussion. |