Youth Summit Draws Large Crowd

Approximately 1,400 students attended the Youth Summit 2008 held in Durant.

Team AcroDunk performing at the Youth Summit.

Durant District Conservationist Paul May discusses NRCS careers with students.

Three youth from Chickasaw Nation performing the Lord’s Prayer in sign language.

The Choctaw Nation Event Center was the site for the “Xtreme Ability is Power” Youth Summit 2008. This event, sponsored by the Choctaw Nation, Big Five Community Services, Southern Workforce Board, KEDDO, Southeastern Workforce Board, Chickasaw Nation, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Citizen Pottawatomi Nation, OK Department of Career Tech, Kiamichi Technology Center, Governor’s State Youth Council, Department of Rehabilitation Services and the OK Department of Commerce, is continuing to grow as youth and young adults from all over the state of Oklahoma flock to this annual event that began in 2007.

Jasper Parker, Assistant State Conservationist for Outreach and Civil Rights, Ann Colyer, Tribal Resource Conservationist to the Choctaw Nation, Paul May, District Conservationist, Durant FO attended the Youth Summit in Durant. The Youth Summit was held on Thursday, July 10. The event was designed to motivate and inspire youth and young adults ages 14 to 21 about their future.

The featured speakers and entertainment were: Jim Riley, former Miami Dolphin football player, D. J. Vanus, author, Richard Hight, artist, Choctaw Youth Council, Team AcroDunk-Acrobatic Slam Dunking and the Chickasaw Martial Arts Group.

There were approximately 1,500 people that attended this event, 1,400 of them being youth. Each youth received a sack lunch, an “Xtreme Ability” t-shirt and gym bag filled with occupational and educational material along with other goodies.