STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Teens can learn how to become active role models for healthy lifestyle change in their communities at an April 22 summit at the Mill Conference Center in Starkville.

The Promoting Healthy Living Through Community Connections Summit, which is open to 14- to 18-year-olds from northern Mississippi, will offer interactive educational sessions on nutrition, mental health awareness, community and civic engagement, and health promotion, wellness and physical activity.

Participants also will be introduced to the Junior Master Wellness Volunteer Program, which is aimed at training young people to help improve health literacy and healthy lifestyle choices in their communities.

“Teens are important members of their communities, and this summit will help them understand how they can improve their own health and well-being as well as influence healthy behavior change in their communities,” said Jasmine Harris-Speight, an instructor with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and director of the Junior Master Wellness Volunteer Program.

“They will also learn skills to help them advocate for their communities and better understand the importance of volunteering,” she said.

The summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mill Conference Center, located at 600 Russell Street. Registration is free and open through April 10. Visit the Extension registration portal at https://bit.ly/4213BC1 to register.

Sessions will be led by experts in each educational topic and will be relevant to teen health and well-being.

Parents who attend with teens can attend sessions geared toward adults, where they will learn about teen nutrition, health and well-being.

Teens and parents from Alcorn, Benton, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Lowndes, Noxubee, Marshall, Monroe, Oktibbeha, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union, Webster, Winston, Yalobusha, DeSoto, Tate, Tunica, Panola, Quitman, Coahoma, Tallahatchie, Bolivar, Sunflower, Leflore, Grenada, Montgomery, Carroll, Holmes, Humphreys, Washington, Sharkey, Issaquena, Yazoo, Attala, Madison, Neshoba, Leake, and Kemper counties are invited to attend. A separate summit will be offered later for teens and adults in south Mississippi.

The summit is organized and delivered by the MSU Extension Service and is sponsored by United Healthcare.

MSU is an equal opportunity institution. For disability accommodation or other information, contact Jasmine Harris-Speight at 662-325-6640 or jrh667@msstate.edu.