SHEENA MANNING SAYS ITS PARTY TIME AT OAK BAY HIGH

"I didn't know what shape it would take, how big it would become and how it
would affect my life. It's really been the focus for me this year," says
Sheena Manning.

The Oak Bay High Grade 12 student is referring to a drug and alcohol
awareness program that she started up at school, in an effort to make a
difference in both her school and her community.

Manning is a top student and a determined leader at Oak Bay High.

She is a peer counsellor as well as a volunteer with the school's career
centre. Manning also donates her time at Oak Bay Lodge, visiting the
elderly and she volunteers at community fund-raisers.

Reta Clark, career centre coordinator at Oak Bay High, believes Manning is
pushing for a better world.

"She really does care for people and she's willing to put in the time and
commitment."

Clark and her peers aren't the only one who have noticed Manning. Last
month, the 17-year-old won the TD-Canada Trust Scholarship for Outstanding
Community Leadership. She was competing against 2,800 students across
Canada and now plans to use the scholarship (which pays tuition and partial
living expenses for four years) to study science at McGill University.

The TD scholarship was only her most recent accomplishment.

Manning's volunteer work has earned her numerous honours, including the
Kiwanis International Everyday Hero Award last month and the C-FAX Youth
Leader of the Year Award.

While pouring hours and hours of her time into volunteer projects, Manning
still manages to get straight As in school and has recently completed a
first-year UVic math course. Her high academic standing allowed her to
spend three weeks at UBC recently observing research scientists.

How does she do it all?

According to Clark, Manning's strong time management skills are the 4key.

"I consider myself organized," says Clark, "but there are times she
organizes me."

The two worked together last spring on a school project related to drug and
alcohol abuse awareness. During the research, Manning became troubled by
the increasing use of drugs and alcohol amongst youth.

"A lot of students who partake in these activities aren't really aware of
the consequences," she says.

Manning discussed her concerns with Clark, who dared her to do something
about it.

With Clark's help, Manning developed the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention
Program (DAAPP) for Oak Bay High.

"I love to be challenged," she explains. "When I start something, I carry
through with it and work as hard as I can."

The difficult part was finding the right way to present the program.
High-schoolers are notorious for tuning out preachy lectures about the
evils of substance abuse. This had to be something that would stick with them.

"I wanted to focus on making choices and the consequences of choices," says
Manning. "I also wanted it to be a student-run program. Hopefully a message
from your peers will have a different impact than just having a teacher
stand up and lecture you."

Oak Bay High vice-principal Alana Charlton is very supportive of Manning's
concept.

"You can't just talk at kids. You have to get their attention," she says.

Over the summer, Manning designed DAAPP and organized a steering committee
comprised of students, staff and parents. Manning was also able to enlist
support from various community agencies - including ICBC, the Oak Bay
police and the Dallas Society (a drug and alcohol abuse prevention group).

"She's comfortable with any age group," says Charlton. "Like any good
leader, she has the ability to move people to action in an unassuming way."

To help implement DAAPP, Manning made use of existing groups within her
school, such as the Healthy School Club - which organized an annual drug
and alcohol abuse awareness week.

Recently, Manning coordinated several school groups for the PARTY
(Preventing Alcohol Related Trauma in Youth) program.

First developed in Alberta in 1988, PARTY is an interactive, one-day event
focused on the dangers of impaired driving. Tenth graders were chosen to
participate, because that is the year many of them begin driving.

Last Thursday, accompanied by Grade 12s involved with DAAPP, Grade 10s
toured the emergency room at Royal Jubilee Hospital. Students began their
day with a simulated party, complete with mocktails and music. They then
put on "impaired vision" goggles and tried to walk around. They also wore
neck braces and were strapped to backboards to simulate injuries incurred
during drunk driving accidents.

They ended their day with presentations from police, emergency personnel
and a young car crash survivor.

PARTY, like all DAAPP events, reinforced the message of choosing healthy
alternatives by using senior students as role models.

"Youth listen to youth," says Clark. "If a student stands up at an assembly
and talks about choices they've made, the students will listen."

Manning herself has chosen not to take drugs or use alcohol.

"I stand for healthy choices and education. I made choices at the beginning
of the year and I'm happy I made them."