Somerville Cares About Prevention (SCAP) Program Director Lovelee Heller-Bottari announced that the results of their bi-annual Student Health Survey will be presented in a public forum on Thursday, January 17 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Cross Street Senior Center, located at 165 Broadway.  The results will be presented in the form of a game show, with attendees being divided into teams to discuss topics from the Student Health Survey.  Refreshments and prize drawings are included in the event, and attendees may enter to win a free pizza from Mama Gina’s, a 90-day membership to Boston Sports Club, or a $50 Gift Card to Redbones.

The Student Health Survey was administered to all Somerville High School students in February 2012, and anonymous answers were compiled into an analytical report and compared with state and national averages in categories including alcohol use, drug use, bullying, overall school environment, and school services. A survey will be administered to Somerville middle school students in March 2013.

”Bringing together community groups and individuals from Somerville to discuss the key topics of concern for youth of our city is very important, and should have a positive impact on the youth in Somerville,” said Heller-Bottari.  “The 2012 results show that Somerville youth are making great strides in terms of engaging in healthy behaviors and are below the state average for most concerning issues, such as substance abuse.  Discussing these results as a community will help increase awareness and mobilize our community leaders to support community-wide efforts contributing to healthy trends among our city’s youth.”

Somerville Positive Forces 100 (SPF100), a youth group that works with the Somerville Office of Prevention and SCAP to reduce underage drinking, substance abuse and related issues, has organized this event and will be facilitating the presentation.

Joyitka Bhargo, age 16, noted, “As an SPF 100 youth leader, I feel this information is important to share with our community. Many teenagers are stereotyped as being irresponsible or delinquent, but the survey results show that a large majority of teenagers in Somerville actually make healthy lifestyle choices, get involved, and work to build a healthy community. That is exactly what SPF100 is about; our vision is to create a community here youth are seen as assets and have access to a number of opportunities and experiences that foster Human Potential and leadership.”

For more information about this event, or the survey, please contact Lovelee Heller-Bottari at 617-625-6600 ext 4322.  SCAP is a division of the Somerville Health Department.