Project Youth: College for a Day

Miss Idaho Falls, Katelyn Strobel, has been busy with her platform. On March 20th she hosted a huge event at her University. “I am the director of a program called Project Youth. I brought 1000 5th and 6th graders from low-income schools to my college campus at Brigham Young University. The elementary students are lead by a student group leader and are taken on a campus tour and STEM presentations given by faculty and clubs. The goal of my program is to encourage these elementary students to reach their full academic potential and to excite them about all the possibilities at the university level. At the end of the day all the kids and volunteers attend a Power Rally with performance groups, keynote speakers, music and slideshows.

With an event this large, it is easy to be distracted by the sheer number of students in front of you. However, my favorite part of my Project Youth events are the small and quiet moments I have with individual children. During this event, I was eating lunch with a boy named Ethan. He told me that this was “the coolest fieldtrip he had ever been on” and that he was excited to “go back to school and work harder in science class” so that he could graduate from college with a “degree in Chemistry and save the world.”

Conversations like that, while simple, are the reasons why I chose to promote higher education as my platform. I believe that everyone is capable of accomplishing great things, sometimes we just need vision and an encouraging voice.

My platform “Go On: Promoting Higher Education”’s purpose is to hold these Project Youth events on college campuses. After my event at BYU, the number of students that have participated in my program REACHED 5000!

My goal before Miss Idaho is to present to 10,000 students! This upcoming month I am putting on “Go On” assemblies at nearly every elementary school in Idaho Falls. Look for me at your local elementary school!!!”

YMCA Make a Splash

Miss Nampa, Audrey Powell, spent March 23rd through the 27th at YMCA Make a Splash. "I spent several hours teaching kids how to swim each morning! The kids ranged from 4-14 and were able to take part in the lessons due to a discounted rate. I appreciated having the privilege to teach kids to swim who otherwise would not have been able to take swimming lessons."

When asked what her best memory was she said, "I taught Jana (one of the cutest and sweetest 6 year olds on the planet) how to swim! On the first day she cried because she was so nervous to blow her bubbles but by the end of the week, she swam 15 yards by herself. This is exactly what my platform is all about."

Audrey walked away with 38 new friends. She loves teaching a lifelong skill. She also wants to remind parents to sign their kids up for lessons at a local pool! You can’t start lessons too soon and it’s never too late!

Third Season of Dancing Queens Launch

Miss Southwestern Idaho, Megan Wilson, is launching her third season of Dancing Queens on April 1st. She said, " Dancing Queens is a self-awareness program for preteen girls where Megan discusses topics like self-esteem, peer pressure, personal wellness, and goal setting while teaching the art of Polynesian dance. This season is held at the Boys and Girls Club of Ada County. The girls will perform at the B&G Club Parent Night later in April." Megan's favorite part about the program is getting to meet the girls she will be mentoring for the next month. Some will be girls she coached in Girls on the Run last fall. 

"I have a personal connection to my platform, At-Risk Prevention: Helping Girls Reach Their Full Potential. Dancing Queens is all about helping girls go into their teen years with a toolkit to avoid risky activities that could hinder their future success."

Dancing Queens Program

All of the contestants in the Miss Idaho Organization select a platform to promote during their year of service. It is there way to get involved in the community by sharing something they are passionate about. Megan Wilson, Miss Southwestern Idaho, has a platform of At-Risk Prevention: Helping Girls Reach Their Full Potential. Every year she hosts a program for young girls in the area called Dancing Queens.  It is a self-awareness program for preteen girls where topics like self-esteem, peer pressure, personal wellness, and goal setting are discussed while learning the art of Polynesian dance. Dancing Queens goes throughout the month of April and for their big final event the Dancing Queen girls get to perform and display a booth at Kids Fun Fest May 2. Megan says, "My best memory is from my first season of DQ when my quietest girl wrote me a letter saying I helped her get out of her shell. I get to play big sister to girls from various backgrounds and situations." You can register with Megan by calling 369-3854 or emailing meganwilson1@u.boisestate.edu.

Get Moving Magic Valley

Sierra Sandison, Miss Pocatello, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes her senior year of high school. For her platform, Diabetes Awareness, one of the projects she started this summer is "Get Moving Magic Valley". A group meets every Tuesday night at 8pm to walk the canyon rim in order to get active and fight both the obesity epidemic, and the onset of type 2 diabetes! She will be heading to Miss Idaho tomorrow, but if you are in the Magic Valley, the group will still meet to walk the canyon at 8 in front of Sportsman's Warehouse!

Hope to have you join us!