A Terrific Year with Y Street

Hello everyone, my name is Josh S. and I’m a junior at King George High School in Virginia. For the past two years I have been a part of Y Street to help my school become a better and healthier part of my community. Y Street has given me tremendous opportunity to connect with my fellow students and the community of King George, and it goes to show that when you want to help your school, everyone is on board. Y Street is run by us, the students, with help from our advisor, Mrs. Strauss. We work together to hold events, meetings, trainings, and so much more!

Last year, Y-Sters at King George High School spoke to our school board to change our tobacco policy to be 100% comprehensive. This year, we held events at the King George Fall Festival as well as at sports and community events held at the school. At these events, we talked to people about our campaigns and gathered important data to help our school. Yes, this is nerve-racking, but it is a great way for us to come out of our shells and become fearless. Plus we have a card to help us talk about the event if we go off topic.

Right now, Y-Sters at KGHS are looking towards bringing more accessible food to our high school. Great Starts with Breakfast is a very important campaign for our students. Every student should be provided with breakfast so they can have high energy throughout the day. We will need to present the data we gather from our events to our Nutritional Director so we can get the ball rolling. Our Great Starts With Breakfast lunch event was a hit with all the students at King George High School. We went to lunch tables, talking to students about the importance of eating a healthy breakfast. We also had students take surveys to be able to spin a prize wheel and get one of our many GSWB swag items.

We also spread the word about drinking healthily. Rev Your Bev was held on May 25, 2018 in schools across Virginia. For King George, as soon as lunch started, people were coming to our table wanting to know what we were up to; it was safe to say that everyone had a blast. We had water set out for people to drink and as students were filling out surveys, Y-Sters talked to them about the importance of drinking water. Students took water surveys to find their favorite water flavors. In the simplest words, King George loved it.

Y Street is bringing students together not only in their local communities but around the entire Commonwealth to lead Virginia to a healthier tomorrow. Y Street is not only an “activist club,” but a club where we learn life lessons about voicing our opinions for the betterment of our communities. Furthermore, it has taught us responsibility, dedication, persistence, and leadership skills. This organization has not only brought students together but has bonded us as friends and team members working towards a common goal. We are always learning from the organization and the students that we work with, and I personally recommend Y Street to every student. This organization will help you grow as a person and will teach you life skills that everyone should know. Y Street is still growing within King George and we can’t wait to see what else it has in store for our school and the students within it.

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