TO:Health Educators, School Nurses, School Health Coordinators

TO:Health Educators, School Nurses, School Health Coordinators

FR:Jean Zimmerman, HIV Prevention Education Program

DA: September 10, 2010

RE:STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN HIV PREVENTION

It’s that time again! High school students from across the state are called on to take action against HIV/AIDS. This disease is alive and well, and living right here in Maine. Young people, especially those ages 15-24 years, continue to be at risk for HIV infection. It’s time to find out what can be done in your school to help lead this ongoing fight.

Calling all Health Educators!! We need you to pull together a team of students from your school to attend the Student Leadership in HIV Prevention Conference to be held on Thursday, November 18, 2010, at the RamadaConferenceCenter in Lewiston. This is a perfect time to get energized and ready to take action in your school prior to World AIDS Day, commemorated on December 1st. This training is absolutely free!

The reality is startling, though publicity about domestic HIV/AIDS is minimal. These are not just statistics; they represent real people, just like your students:

• Over 7,413 young adults between the ages of 15-24 years tested positive for HIV in 2008. Every nine and a half minutes a new HIV infection occurs in the U.S.

• Young women are increasingly at risk for HIV infection through heterosexual contact.

• The rate of HIV infections has not decreased in this country. This puts more young people at risk every year, as many people do not know that they are infected.

Student involvement can be a key element in effective HIV prevention.

The conference is aimed at student leaders in Maine high schools. We know that education is at present the only prevention in stopping the spread of HIV infection. We also know that young people share their knowledge and beliefs with one another; therefore, it is vitally important that the information they share be accurate. This conference will provide a forum for learning factual information about HIV disease and will be an opportunity for students to learn about protecting their sexual health.

Four student leaders from each Maine high school are invited to attend this conference with a faculty member. It is requested that the four students selected from your high school be representative of differing groups within the school. Please consider sending a new group of students if your high school has attended in the past. The students do not need to be exclusively academic leaders but do need to show leadership qualities (e.g., participation in vocational education or extra-curricular activities).

This year’s conference will include updated information on the HIV pandemic. People who are living with HIV disease will share with the audience how the disease has impacted their lives (always a highlight, memorable!). Barriers to HIV prevention, such as homophobia and sexual harassment, will be covered, along with support for abstinence and safer sex. Students from an HIV education team will be presenting examples of HIV prevention strategies that they have used at the local level. A variety of workshops will be presented offering interactive, skills-based activities. We’re pleased to offer again this year five $500 HIV Peer Prevention Project grants for attending student teams. More details to follow.

The Student Leadership conferences have been very successful in motivating Maine’s young people to become involved locally. Several of the high school HIV education teams have won state and national awards for their innovative programs. We hope this conference will foster student creativity and expression. This year’s World AIDS Day slogan—Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise—and theme—Universal Access and Human Rights—is a challenge to government leaders to follow through on HIV funding and education commitments. This challenge is one that our students will be facing as the global pandemic shows no sign of slowing down. Students who are our future leaders, whose job will be to decide public policy, allocate funding, research HIV and other viruses, and participate in global concerns need to be informed on these issues.

Already, Maine’s young people are creating positive change. They have increased their rate of sexual abstinence seven percentage points over the last decade. Those who are sexually active have increased their condom use rate to 59%. Eighty-seven percent of our youth are considered to be sexually responsible. All the same, with more people living longer with HIV infection, there is actually more opportunity for increased infections among our young people. This is an opportunity to support and increase positive sexual health gains already being made in your schools. The conference will supplement efforts you are making in the health curriculum and the MaineLearning Results. Your support in this effort is greatly appreciated as we all continue to educate and empower our youth to become responsible for their own health and wellness.

There are a limited number of overnight accommodations for students traveling over an hour to the training facility. If you are interested, please indicate it on the registration form. Please note that the Department will not be responsible for supervising students staying overnight. Lunch and breaks will be provided. This conference is made available thanks to a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maine Department of Education.

Registration deadline is November 4, 2010, so register now by going to: At this link, you’ll also find a registration form that you can print, fill in and fax or mail to us, if needed. Contact us if you have any questions. Hope to see your student teams there!

HIV Prevention Education Program

Maine Department of Education

23 State House Station

Augusta, ME04333-0023

Phone - (207) 624-6692

Fax - (207) 624-6702

E-mail: