On Saturday, May 6, 2006 the inaugural Loudoun Youth Fest was held at the Ida Lee Park in Leesburg.  This event incorporated fun and community, while providing needed information and outreach on prevention and healthy youth development.  Free transportation was provided to and from high schools located all over Loudoun County.

The idea for the 2006 Loudoun Youth Fest was generated by Shannon Walker when she participated at the Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention camp with a team of two other students in the summer of 2004.   The ideas was combined with the theme of Celebrating Youth from The Loudoun Youth Week, a series of youth-driven events held every night over the course of one week.  Both ideas merged and evolved to create the one-day event that would expose youth to the myriad prevention services available to them across Loudoun County. 

This event incorporated components of a youth celebration with local bands, dance and step teams, vocalists, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a rock climbing wall, laser tag, sumo wrestling, an inflatable maze, Washington Redskin player Rock Cartwright, an art competition hosted by Congressman Wolf, as well as food and prizes.  This celebration was the attraction for youth that brought them into contact with the 28 prevention and healthy youth development exhibits that lined the event area.  The creation of a “passport” which required the youth to visit at least six of the exhibitors insured that the vast majority of the participants gained awareness of services available to them, and resulted in a satisfying experience for all involved.  Hosted by Ida Lee Park, this inaugural event drew more than 1500 participants from all over Loudoun County and included 95 volunteers and more than 224 volunteer hours.  Click here to view more pictures of the Youth Fest.

The Loudoun County Government served as a classroom for more than three dozen high school students from across the county during Youth in Government Day on Tuesday.

The students got a firsthand look at the workings of local government by attending portions of the Board of Supervisors meeting in the morning and afternoon. They also heard presentations from county human services agencies, including Child Protective Services, the Juvenile Detention Center, the Health Department, the Loudoun County Public Library, the Loudoun Youth Initiative, and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services.

The students also participated in a "Fund the County Budget" exercise, and attended a luncheon with the Supervisors.

The first Loudoun Youth Week, celebrating Loudoun's future, took place May 31-June 4, 2005. The week-long series of events, activities and programs was designed to highlight Loudoun County youth and foster a community of "connectedness." Events, activities and programs will be hosted at sites in Loudoun County, with free youth-oriented public transportation to events, activities and programs provided by the "Loudoun Teen Machine," a joint venture of the Loudoun County Advisory Commission on Youth, the Loudoun Youth Initiative and Virginia Regional Transit Association. The events included:

The Loudoun Youth Initiative held Step Up Loudoun 2005 on November 10 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg. The event was held to encourage local community leaders to become more involved in the efforts of the Loudoun Youth Initiative.

Adolph Brown, Associate Professor of Psychology at Hampton University was the featured speaker. "Dr. Brown inspired and motivated participants by encouraging the business community to join the government, schools and youth already working to make Loudoun a better place for youth," said Youth Initiative Director Tim Chesnutt. Brown encouraged leaders to become actively involved in helping the youth of Loudoun and praised the accomplishments to date. The Loudoun Youth Initiative also sponsored Brown's appearances at River Bend Middle School and Potomac Falls High School later that day.

The new Loudoun Youth Initiative Logo was also unveiled at the event. The logo was created by Rachel Escueta, who is a senior at Potomac Falls High School. Twenty-nine outstanding entries created by Loudoun County students were entered in the contest.

Supervisors Stephen J. Snow, Bruce Tulloch, Jim Burton, Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Edgar Hatrick and several Loudoun County School Board members were in attendance. "These officials again stepped up and demonstrated their support and enthusiasm for the Loudoun Youth Initiative and such projects as the continued effort to provide after school programs for all middle school students," Chesnutt said.

Tracy Parent, Executive Director of the Loudoun Foundation, pledged funds to the Loudoun Youth Initiative at the event. "The Loudoun Foundation is reinforcing its commitment to the youth of Loudoun County by giving thirty percent of the Loudoun Summer Music Fest proceeds to designated Loudoun Youth Initiative programs," Parent said.