Orange, CA (April 13, 2018) – The El Modena Chapter of Friday Night Live (FNL) was surprised by the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) yesterday with an award of excellence. Club members and their sponsor, AP Biology Teacher Stephanie Quihuiz, will be celebrated at the FNL Chapter Recognition Ceremony on May 11 at Chapman University.
Friday Night Live is a club that promotes youth leadership and development through community partnerships. The program encourages students to take on community service projects that benefit fellow students, schools, and communities. Each chapter is student-led and student-driven, granting participants with opportunities to build leadership, communication and life skills that help prepare them for college and careers.
Members of the El Modena Chapter of Friday Night Live attended leadership trainings covering topics such as bullying, mental health, and alcohol and tobacco prevention. They then applied this knowledge by leading programs promoting Media Literacy at both Handy Elementary School and Yorba Middle School. In addition, students have partnered with the non-profit group Wayfinders to acknowledge the hard work of the Orange Police Department to keep our community’s streets safe and drug free.
The Friday Night Live program began in 1984 as a response to the number of youth involved in alcohol-related automobile accidents. According to the OCDE website, “The name Friday Night Live came about because most youth alcohol-related crashes occur on Friday nights between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. Today, the program has evolved from an anti-drinking and driving program to one that engages youth in meaningful activities and opportunities to develop competencies and skills that prepare them for work and adult life, helping them build relationships and community connections.”
