San Pedro- On Thursday, April 2nd, twenty Port of Los Angeles High School (POLAHS) students participated in the 3rd annual Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Harbor Teen/Police Conference. This year's conference, hosted by the Harbor Area's Teen Community Police Advisory Board (Teen-CPAB) was entitled, "Doing the Hard Right, Instead of the Easy Wrong." Harbor's Teen CPAB consists of dedicated teenagers who mission is to bridge the gap between teens and their police department via workshops addressing today's teen issues including dealing with racial tolerance, gang intervention/prevention and making healthy choices.
Student participants gathered at the Crowne Plaza Hotel to learn from workshop speakers including LAPD Chief William Bratton, a paralyzed gang leader, a drunk-driving victim and a motivational teen speaker. Students gained a wealth of knowledge about positive decision making and witnessed the devastation of gang violence firsthand. POLAHS Principal Tom Scotti truly appreciated the opportunity, saying, "As a former police officer, I know that students today are dealing with tough issues. Forums that allow our students to speak freely on these topics help us fulfill our school's mission. We focus on offering students a college preparatory environment that encourages them to graduate high school and continue their education." Community and parent participation, as well as partnerships with the LAPD are surely keeping the students at POLAHS on track.
The Port of Los Angeles High School (http://www.polahs.net) is a not-for-profit, tuition-free charter high school open to all residents of California. Since 2005, POLAHS has fused a college preparatory program with electives in International Business and Maritime Studies. |
