2010 Wyoming Latina Youth Conference to Feature Lucy Flores and Grupo Vida

Cheyenne, Wyoming: The 2010 Wyoming Latina Youth Conference will take place from October 15-17 and feature speaker Lucy Flores and musical group Grupo Vida (a.k.a. The Electric Cowboys). Flores comes from Nevada while the featured singing act is from Texas. The Wyoming Latina Youth Conference is for girls around the state who are in grades 5-12. This year's theme will be "The Power of Change" and has several sponsors, including Laramie County Community College (LCCC), where some of the event activities are to take place. About 120 young ladies attended last year's event, according to Founder and Chair Ann Esquibel Redman. Girls from at least ten of Wyoming's 23 counties are expected to attend, coming from cities and towns like Jackson, Casper, Sheridan, Wright, Cody, Rock Springs, and Star Valley.

The 2010 Wyoming Latina Youth Conference Will Feature Grupo Vida at Saturday Night's Latin Jam

On Friday night, October 15, at 6:30 pm, a banquet will be held at Little America, where community activist Lucy Flores is scheduled to speak about how she has overcome her struggles in life to fulfill the goals she's set for herself, including running for a seat in the Nevada State Assembly. Tickets are $25 per person and anyone can attend.

Saturday, October 16, will see a full day of events at the 2010 Wyoming Latina Youth Conference. There will be a fashion show and the workshops will address such subjects as substance abuse, teen pregnancy, bullying, and education. Redman stressed one special workshop about journaling, describing it as "a short presentation on a new program at LCCC 'Adelante' and we will be gifting the girls with 'Learning to be a Leader, A Journal for Young Latinas' by Juana Bordas, a past keynote speaker at the conference. We will go over one page in the journal and start them on their path of journaling. The students all leave with a book donated by the Laramie County Library System."

The Wyoming Latina Youth Conference will feature the Latin Jam Saturday night at the Cheyenne Civic Center, where the featured act will be Grupo Vida. The Groupo Folclorico Colonias de Jalisco, a dance group from Cheyenne, Wyoming, is also scheduled to perform at the public event. Tickets are on sale at the Cheyenne Civic Center for $20 (13 and older) and $10 (12 and under). Attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food item so it can be donated to St. Joseph's Food Closet. Sunday, October 17 will see a folclorico dance workshop take place at the YMCA to close out the 2010 Wyoming Latina Youth Conference.

Wyoming Latina Youth Conferences Help Girls Make Life Changes

The Wyoming Latina Youth Conferences have had a positive impact on the attendees. Redman commented, "Girls are having more respect for themselves, they leave with more self-esteem, say no to sex, and consider higher education when they may not have thought it was possible before." The Latina youth who pay the $25 registration fees get to partake in all the activities, even though that fee is basically for the banquet. Redman expressed thanks for the sponsors, remarking, "....all other costs happen because of the generosity of sponsors, grants and individual donations." Besides LCCC, the sponsors include The Equipoise Fund, Cheyenne Light Fuel & Power, States West Water Resources Corporation, Safeway, Thunder Basin Coal Company, State Farm Insurance, Qwest, and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

According to Redman, the costs of the girls' travel, room and board have been covered with the help of fund raisers and their school districts. "This has happened because of the feedback from the students who have attended the conference. School districts are starting to see the positive results of attending the conference."

While this event is targeted to Latina youth, any Wyoming girl in grades 5-12 may attend the girl-specific events. For more information about the Wyoming Latina Youth Conference 2010 contact Ann Esquibel Redman at Box 2732, Cheyenne, WY 82003 or 307-632-4667. Email aredman@bresnan.net Website here

Sources:

Wyoming Latina Youth Conference website: www.wyominglatinayouthconference.com

Email between Roy A. Barnes and Ann Esquibel Redman, September 26, 2010

Flyer, Wyoming Latina Youth Conference