Can teenagers persuade younger children to make positive choices in life? “YES!” say the teens and adults who work together in the MOOSE YOUTH AWARENESS PROGRAM. For more than two decades, we have organized high school students into a highly effective “speakers’ bureau” with the goal of educating preschool and elementary school children on a variety of topics, such as drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse, “stranger danger”, bullying and peer pressure and healthy habits and nutrition.

More than 1,300 energetic teens gathered last year at State and Provincial Moose Association Student Congresses throughout the United States and Canada. They listened to guest speakers, exchanged ideas and used their creativity to help themselves and other deal with adverse elements in their own communities. Many students revealed experiences in their own lives, which drove them to help in preventing future tragedies. Some of the students who attended these Congresses were already leaders in school or community youth programs; some became leaders as a result of the knowledge and experience they gained at the Congresses.

At the Association Student Congresses, students focus on creating Moose KidsTalks, which are presentations to be given to 4-9 year-olds in their communities. While adults provided real world experiences and inspiration, the students developed their own ideas for their Moose KidsTalks. They found ways to empower children to make healthy choices and resist danger, and went home determined to put them to practice.

The best part of Moose KidsTalks presentations is the lengths to which the teens will extend their creativity. Some use costumes and actually take on alternate personas; some use props, pictures, puppets or coloring books; some use skits or other avenues to make their presentations interactive for the audience. As their experience as a presenter grows, so does their ability to hold the children’s attention.

Each year, we ask school officials across North America to recommend two high school students to attend Association Student Congresses, which are held in October and November each year.

Students are selected based on academic ability and leadership qualities. They are challenged to become a “speakers’ bureau” utilizing Moose KidsTalks. Each participant selects a topic and develops a presentation around that topic. They are then responsible for finding opportunities to speak to groups of 4 to 9- year-old children in scouting units, elementary schools, Sunday School classes, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs and YMCA youth programs just to name a few. Each student is asked to do a minimum of three (3) Moose KidsTalks from the end of the Association Student Congress through the end of February each year. They are also asked to complete written reports on these presentations.

Each year, approximately 60 students, who attended Association Student Congresses and completed the minimum of three (3) Moose KidsTalks, are selected by their peers to attend the International Student Congress. During the International Congress, five students will be selected by their peers to receive scholarships. The awards are:

 1st Place - $12,000Ø
 2nd Place - $8,000Ø
 3rd PlaceØ - $5,000
 4th Place - $3,000Ø
 5th Place - $2,000Ø

The $12,000 recipient is invited annually to attend our Moose International Convention to address the members in attendance about their presentation and their experience with the program.

The Moose Youth Awareness Program has a bright future. Through Moose KidsTalks presentations to small groups of 4 to 9-year-olds, our participants can inspire the children in their local communities to make healthy decisions and to avoid adverse situations. In fact, the voices of those students who have attended Association and International Student Congresses during the last 15 years have reached an audience of more than 700,000.

Our Lodges, Chapters, Moose Legions and Moose Associations also support many other outstanding local and state programs that benefit children. Our fraternal leaders are dedicated to this most worthwhile program that affects youths all over North America. The Moose Youth Awareness Program reaffirms our commitment to providing today for a better tomorrow.

The future rests in the hands, hearts and minds of our children. Without a doubt, members of the Loyal Order of Moose and co-workers of the Women of the Moose will continue to provide assistance to make our communities better places for families to live and for children to grow.

For more information on the Moose Youth Awareness Program, please contact the Moose International Department of Fraternal Programs at (630) 966-2224.

The 52 teenage delegates at the 2008 Moose International Student Congress honored each other's best work during the May 1-5 gathering in Tampa, FL , and the three top KidsTalk presenters from among them earned a total of $12,000 in college scholarships from Moose International.

At the May 5 conclusion of the weekend-long Congress and based on voting done by the delegates themselves, scholarships were awarded to the top three presenters of Moose KidsTalks -- addresses geared to 4- to 9-year-olds on the importance of making positive choices in life -- and choosing against drugs and gangs. All 52 delegates had presented at least three KidsTalks in their home communities.

Arthur Plowden of Orlando, FL was chosen by his peers as winner of the top $7,000 scholarship award -- one year after he had won the second-place $3,000 for his participation in the 2007 Student Congress. Arthur also earned a trip to Las Vegas June 19-25, to address an audience of more than 4,000 at the 2007 International Moose Convention. Kelly Pierce of Wind Gap, PA went home with the second-place $3,000 scholarship, and Chelsea Kowallis of North Pole, AK won the third-place scholarship for $2,000.

The 2008 Student Congress was hosted by the Florida/Bermuda Moose Association; it was moderated by previous Moose Student Congress participants Jamie Houston, now attending Murray State University, Murray, KY; and Amalia Gil, currently attending the University of Waterloo, Kitchener-Waterloo, ON.

The Congress opened with ceremonies at the Doubletree Westshore Hotel in Tampa. Delegates enjoyed a Friday Country/Western Night at Zephyrhills, FL Lodge 2276, then spent Saturday at famous Busch Gardens in Tampa. The Congress concluded with an all-day work session Sunday at the Doubletree Westshore, then moved to Brandon, FL Lodge 1880 for an old-fashioned "sockhop."

The 2009 International Student Congress is scheduled for April 30 - May 4 in Hampton, VA.