Emmy Award-winning AIDS activist Rae Lewis-Thornton will be the featured speaker during a daylong conference on HIV/AIDS titled “Promoting Prevention in Paradise: Youth Taking Control,” which will be held on UVI’s St. Thomas campus, beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 2.
All UVI students and high school seniors are invited to participate. The goal is to increase awareness of the risks of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. The conference is sponsored by the Office of the Associate Campus Executive Administrator for Student Affairs.
Lewis-Thornton, who is based in Chicago, will share her personal story of living with AIDS. She was featured on the cover of Essence magazine, becoming one of the first African-American women to share her story with a major publication. She has also appeared on the Oprah Show and on other national media outlets. The one-day conference will also feature local and regional speakers, and former UVI student peer educators. Also featured will be a public service announcement video competition and a poetry competition for students. The winning entry will receive a cash prize.
Registration, which is required in advance, is free for all students. Registration for other persons is $20. Online registration is available from the UVI Web site’s home page – www.uvi.edu. For details, call 693-1120/1121.
The conference is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, through the Minority Education Institution Initiative.
