Carl D. Perkins Job Corps celebrated its Youth2Youth/Partners4Peace Week Sept. 18-22 with guest speakers, including one from NASA, art activities, classroom presentations in the local schools, an anti-violence message themed contest for decorating classrooms and dorms, and a Be a Superhero not a Bully event. The week culminated with the spreading of the Y2Y message during the “Take back our Park” Recovery Event held at Archer Park in Prestonsburg, KY.

Founded in the spring of 2015, Y2Y is a violence-prevention initiative created by and led by Job Corps students nationwide. This initiative is the first national, student-created and student-led effort to curb youth violence on Job Corps centers, in their surrounding communities and in the hometowns of students and graduates.

Students recognize that violence – online, in the workplace and at home – is a critical issue that young people must be equipped to understand, avoid and address. By involving the community in Y2Y, students hope to further spread the campaign’s anti-violence message and promote peace.

Guest speakers Maurice Henderson, a NASA engineer; Maurice Talley, an accountant from the Department of Rehabilitation; and Steve Russo, director of the East Kentucky Science Center, spoke to students about making the right choices, and finding a vision for yourself, changing your life, setting positive goals and discovering people who will help you reach those goals. Russo also talked about making mistakes when you are young and learning from those mistakes. “To do something with your life, you have to have a passion for it,” Russo said.