San Clemente High School students Yuki Dias and Helen Calderon are back from Washington, D.C., where they represented San Clemente at a Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America conference.
During their trip Feb. 6-9 they met with congressional representatives Darrell Issa and Maxine Waters and gained skills in advocacy and policy change, said Susan Parmalee of the San Clemente Wellness & Prevention Center. The message of the conference was to empower youth by funding prevention efforts.
The two students participate in a youth coalition of the Wellness & Prevention Center known as SCShift. Accompanying them on the trip was Alejandra Vaca, a health educator from the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence Orange County.
The trip was funded by a federal Drug-Free Communities Mentor grant.
Yuki Dias, left, and Helen Calderon at the nation’s capitol outside Congressman Darrell Issa’s office.