Stanislaus County Office of Education’s Prevention Programs Department announces the return of the annual “Friend to Friend” Conference on Wednesday, Feb. 29 at the Modesto Centre Plaza (1000 L Street in Modesto) from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

The theme of this year’s conference is “Rise Above.”  According to event coordinators, the conference is shaping up to be the largest ever, with more than 500 middle- and high-school students slated to attend.  The successful return of this regional event, last held in 2009, was made possible through a sponsorship from Kaiser Permanente.

“This event offers a fantastic opportunity for students to learn more about wellness and become better equipped to be leaders in their schools,” said Vicki Bauman, Prevention Programs Director at SCOE.  “We are thrilled to bring this event back to our region, thanks to the support of Kaiser Permanente.”

Students will hear from a range of speakers at the conference addressing topics such as Bullying and School Violence, Body Image and Healthy Eating, Death by Trauma and Gang Trends.  Nationally acclaimed speaker Josh Shipp will share his empowering story of triumph -encouraging attendees to think of themselves and their mistakes as an opportunity.  Josh Shipp will deliver the keynote from 9 to 9:45 a.m.