POUGHKEEPSIE – The 26th Annual Making Healthful Decisions Conference was held on Friday, November 1st, at Dutchess Community College for over 100 teachers, human service professionals, educators, college students, and parents. The theme for this year’s event was “Building Connection, Community, and Belonging”. The conference rotates among Orange, Sullivan, Dutchess and Ulster Counties hoping to draw from attendees from all neighboring Counties.
The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has stated recently, “Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health. Our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hiding in plain sight – one that can help us live healthier, more fulfilled, and more productive lives,” Therefore, the planning committee felt strongly that focusing on this would benefit our communities from many angles.
This event was generously sponsored by our legacy donor, Garnet Health, as well as Dutchess Community College and Dutchess BOCES. The conference was organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange, Dutchess and Sullivan Counties, and the planning committee consisted of professionals from Garnet Health, Orange County Government (Healthy Families), SUNY Orange Bridges, Sullivan 180, and the Maternal Infant Service Network (MISN).
The conference began with a warm welcome by Julika von Stackelberg from CCE Orange County, Dr. Jordan, President of Dutchess Community College, and Mary Lou Carolan, Executive Director of CCE Dutchess County. After, the day started with an enriching perspective on the state of families by Dr. Ebony Green and the morning keynote presented by Mike Veny focused on “Transforming Stigma into Strength”, where he talked about mental health and shared his drumming skills.
Due to the tremendous response by presenters, we were able to offer seven breakout sessions throughout the day with each of them providing a unique look at belonging, connectivity, inclusion and community. Breakouts consisted of:
CCE Orange County Human Development Educator, Suzan Sussmann shared, “I am always so impressed by the wealth of knowledge we bring to this event. Our participants’ faces are so bright and energized at the end of the event. It is such a great day!”
CCE Sullivan County Educator, Malinda Ware also lead the group in a mindfulness and movement moment to allow for some free, dance expression.
To cap off the day, three educators from SUNY New Paltz, Dr. Terry Murray, Chris Whitaker and Anthony Dandridge provided a 90-minute presentation titled, “In here/Out there: Integrating contemplative practices in our life and our work”. This final presentation brought snippets of the entire day together and allowed participants to learn contemplative practices that they could immediately apply to their work or home life.
CCE Orange County, CCE Dutchess County, and CCE Sullivan County would like to thank those who attended the event as well as reminding attendees to look out for next year’s Making Healthful Decisions Conference. If you have questions about the Conference or would like to learn more about related programs, please contact Julika von Stackelberg by email at jv426@cornell.edu
Last updated November 1, 2024