Goal of BVT Skills USA Community-Service Project: "End Vaping in the Valley"
Mar 30, 2020 06:00AM ● By Pamela Johnson
UPTON – One of the many ways young people learn is often through conversation, whether it is a discussion with their peers or older students. The sixth-grade students at Miscoe Hill Middle School in Mendon recently had an opportunity to converse with the BVT SkillsUSA Community Service Team about the harmfulness of vaping, and the importance of making healthy choices.
Carissa and Kyle Penta of Blackstone, and Renata Santiago of Milford, members of the BVT SkillsUSA Community Service Team, will represent their high school, Blackstone Valley Tech, at the SkillsUSA Massachusetts State Competition with their community service project titled, ‘End Vaping in the Valley’. The team hopes to put an end to vaping through their awareness campaign, which includes interactive presentations with local sixth-graders about how vaping negatively impacts teenagers and ends with students signing a No Smoking/Vaping Pledge.
"We decided to present to sixth-graders because we want to bring our message to that age group. If young people are informed with the facts and made aware of the harmful effects of vaping at an earlier age, they will be less likely to try vaping," explained Renata Santiago.
In addition to presenting at local middle schools, the team plans to attend area Home & Community Expos. Carissa Penta said, “We’ve created posters and made labels for water bottles that have anti-vaping facts that we sold in our school cafeteria to promote and share our message to curb vaping within the Blackstone Valley.”
“Through this community service project, I have learned skills like how to network and other communication skills,” said Kyle Penta. “It is great to be able to give back to my community in such an impactful way.”
The team will ultimately bring their End Vaping in the Valley campaign to the SkillsUSA State Competition with the hope of advancing on to the national competition held in Louisville, Kentucky.
About Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School (BVT):
Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School serves the towns of Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton, and Uxbridge. Located in the heart of the Blackstone Valley, BVT creates a positive learning community that prepares students for personal and professional success in an internationally competitive society through a fusion of rigorous vocational, technical, and academic skills. The school’s website is www.valleytech.k12.ma.us.
Carissa and Kyle Penta of Blackstone, and Renata Santiago of Milford, members of the BVT SkillsUSA Community Service Team, will represent their high school, Blackstone Valley Tech, at the SkillsUSA Massachusetts State Competition with their community service project titled, ‘End Vaping in the Valley’. The team hopes to put an end to vaping through their awareness campaign, which includes interactive presentations with local sixth-graders about how vaping negatively impacts teenagers and ends with students signing a No Smoking/Vaping Pledge.
"We decided to present to sixth-graders because we want to bring our message to that age group. If young people are informed with the facts and made aware of the harmful effects of vaping at an earlier age, they will be less likely to try vaping," explained Renata Santiago.
In addition to presenting at local middle schools, the team plans to attend area Home & Community Expos. Carissa Penta said, “We’ve created posters and made labels for water bottles that have anti-vaping facts that we sold in our school cafeteria to promote and share our message to curb vaping within the Blackstone Valley.”
“Through this community service project, I have learned skills like how to network and other communication skills,” said Kyle Penta. “It is great to be able to give back to my community in such an impactful way.”
The team will ultimately bring their End Vaping in the Valley campaign to the SkillsUSA State Competition with the hope of advancing on to the national competition held in Louisville, Kentucky.
About Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School (BVT):
Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School serves the towns of Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton, and Uxbridge. Located in the heart of the Blackstone Valley, BVT creates a positive learning community that prepares students for personal and professional success in an internationally competitive society through a fusion of rigorous vocational, technical, and academic skills. The school’s website is www.valleytech.k12.ma.us.
