Today's Youth
Carry Our Dreams into Tomorrow

Page 3

In addition, the overall record book winner for any specific year – the current year Youth Across America winner -- receives an all expense paid trip for themselves and a chaperone to attend the LANA EXPO. The responsibilities of this winner include opening the youth program, finalizing the details as well as providing assistance to the youth program speakers, giving at least one presentation to the youth program, speaking at the awards banquet and serving as an alpaca and/or llama youth ambassador for the coming year.

The 2006 “Youth Across America” award was presented to Lisa Gapinski of Boyne City, Michigan.

Several years ago, LANA initiated a very creative and innovation youth program dubbed CSI that is included each year at the LANA Expo. The idea was to create a program that was both physically and mentally challenging for youth. Borrowing from the popularity of the television series of the same name, the very title of this program caught the attention and curiosity of the youth and has engaged them from the very beginning. The letters in “CSI” represent many things: C can mean confidence, cooperation, communication and competition; S includes skill, smarts and ‘stick-to-it-ness’ and the I reminds all of us of the interdependence, ingenuity, improvement and the “I can do it” needed in all areas of our lives. The concept is to present youth of all ages with a physical and mental challenge course complete with activities designed to increase esteem for self and others as well as craft team building and problem solving skills. Competing teams are comprised equally of youth from all the varying age groups. Each team is required to problem solve particular situations using their knowledge, experience and individual strengths in order to put forward the best team effort possible.

The CSI course is different each year and consists of different stations requiring physical effort, cooperation, knowledge and teamwork in both head to head and timed competition. The course is purposefully set up to challenge all participants in a variety of ways. If something is not working, are they willing and able to plan another strategy? Can each group of varying ages respectfully work together for the common goal? Can they interact and coordinate movement to complete their task quickly? It is not particularly about who is best but rather about discovering what you’re best at. Every team receives all manner of great prizes that have included alpaca socks, brass llama key chains and llama or alpaca crossing signs.

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