Peoples Academy Students Attend Youth Leadership Summit
On November 5th, students from Peoples Academy High School in Morrisville attended the OVX (Our Voices Xposed) Youth Leadership Summit in Burlington, a statewide gathering of students focused on youth leadership, mental health promotion, and nicotine prevention. Students participated in interactive workshops on goal setting, positive culture, and using social media for good, while connecting with peers from across Vermont and building skills to bring prevention messages back to their school community. Key highlights included a keynote from Vive18 speaker Tomas Barraza on choosing skill-building and healthy decisions over short-term shortcuts, and a peer-to-peer message from Stanford REACH Lab educator Zahara Safiq on how youth advocacy can drive real change. Together, they emphasized that student voices matter and that prevention connects to mental health, community well-being, and positive school culture. Learn more about OVX here!
Join Us at the 2026 OVX Youth Statehouse Rally!
Tuesday, February 10 | 10:00 – 11:00AM
Vermont Statehouse, 115 State Street, Montpelier
The Annual Our Voices Xposed, or OVX, Youth Statehouse Rally provides youth prevention leaders from Vermont middle and high schools a platform to educate and inform key decision makers and fellow citizens about tobacco and nicotine related issues and harms to schools, communities and young Vermonters, as seen and experienced firsthand. This annual event is open to any interested youth, youth group, or school grades 5-12 within Vermont. Youth do not need to be part of an active OVX group to participate. Community members and supporters of youth voices are welcome to join Vermont’s youth during any part of this event. Registration is free, but pre-registration is required. We anticipate students from Lamoille County will be attending!
Register Here
For more Information contact Liza Comiskey, Tobacco Control Program public health administrator, Liza.Comiskey@Vermont.gov.
Featured Photo: Lamoille Valley students attend 2025 OVX Youth Statehouse Rally