Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced that Katie Beers, the child abduction victim from 1992 who recently authored the memoir Buried Memories: My Story, will be the keynote speaker for the Long Island Youth Safety Coalition’s Winter Conference later this year.
The conference, organized by DA Rice’s office as founder and chair of the Coalition, will focus on teen sexual health and safety. Called “The Talk,” the day-long conference will feature about a dozen workshops and presentations, on topics including human trafficking, sexual assault, sexual health and STDs, bullying, “sexting,” pornography, family planning and teen pregnancy.
“Having ‘the talk’ with young people today is a lot different than it was a generation or even just a few years ago,” DA Rice said. “Our coalition of experts and stakeholders are constantly exploring the latest and best ways to improve teen sexual health and safety, and this conference will help anyone in a position to help young people navigate these difficult and sensitive topics.”
Workshops will be conducted by experts from law enforcement, the medical community and various social service organizations. Also serving as a keynote speaker in addition to Ms. Beers will be Anthony Zenkus, Director of Education at The Safe Center L.I. The conference is targeted towards adults and older teens who work in fields in which they are protecting, teaching or guiding young people.
The Long Island Youth Safety Coalition was founded by DA Kathleen Rice in 2009 in order to bring together experts and stakeholders to help keep Long Island’s youth safe from destructive decision-making. It is comprised of youth groups, substance abuse treatment organizations and law enforcement agencies, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Boys and Girls Club, County and village police departments, NYS OASAS, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island, Peninsula Counseling Center, the Nassau County Department of Social Services, and dozens of treatment agencies and school districts.
The Coalition meets monthly and holds periodic conferences like “The Talk.” Recent conferences have focused on sports safety; drunk, drugged and distracted driving; substance abuse; bullying; Internet safety; and coalition building.
The LI Youth Safety Coalition Winter Conference will be held on Dec. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Hofstra University. Anyone looking to participate or attend may contact DA Rice’s Office of Community Affairs, headed by ADA René Fiechter, at 516-571-1090.