Feb. 15, 2023
For Immediate Release
Contact: Casey Shea 508-368-7229 or 774-530-1207
WORCESTER – For the 15th year, District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. will be hosting his annual Student Wellness Conference aimed at promoting good decision-making and healthy choices for the hundreds of middle and high school students throughout Worcester County who attend.
“We want students to form healthy habits early in life, so when faced with adversity, they can persevere and make the right judgment, whether it be around drugs and alcohol or peer pressure and crime,” Mr. Early said. “We have seen juvenile delinquency rates decrease by 79% since 2007 and that is in part due to events such as today’s, along with our commitment to community outreach prevention programming and intervention work.”
The 2023 event will feature keynote speaker Eric Daddario, who will talk to students about the importance of making positive choices and having open conversations about struggles. He will address the daily social pressures and stigma students face, sharing real-life examples of both healthy and unhealthy decisions that his younger brother, Brendan, made when growing up, including the effects of substance use and addiction.
The nonprofit organization Song for Charlie will also be at the conference and will address the prevalence and dangers of counterfeit prescription pills being sold online to young people. They will equip students with coping strategies and provide research tools to promote peer-to-peer learning.
The conference originally focused on preventing underage drinking, but has been expanded over the years to touch on a wide variety of health and wellness topics.
The Student Wellness Conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31 at Anna Maria College. There will be a resource fair with numerous community organizations. This conference is free and open to all middle and high school students and their adult chaperones in Worcester County. Pre-register here: https://bit.ly/3IMmukZ
If you have questions or would like more information, please email Ellen Miller at ellen.miller@mass.gov
