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AP Photo: Chiara Perkins (right), a junior at Walton High School, seated
next to First Lady Laura Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
at President Bush's Conference on School Safety.
Youth Crime Watcher tapped as only student to speak at White House Conference on School Safety
October 2006: High School Junior Chiara Perkins, President of the Walton High School Youth Crime Watch, De Funiak Springs, FL, was selected to share her experiences with national policymakers at the October 10, 2006 White House Conference on School Safety. President Bush called experts together for the meeting after shootings at schools in Wisconsin, Colorado and Pennsylvania.
In panel discussions led by members of his Cabinet, speakers said the best response is basic: get parents, school leaders, students and police to work together. Ms. Perkins appeared on the Crime Prevention and Preparedness Panel moderated by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and also answered a question from President Bush. Perkins openly advocated the importance of youth and adults working together as partners if we are to truly make schools safe.
The only student to speak on a panel at the conference, Perkins met the President and sat with First Lady Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for a portion of the procedings.
Related stories:
Strategies for Stopping School Violence
Recent School Shooting Plots Point Out Importance of Youth Crime Watch Approach, editorial, 4/24/06
Spotlight on Chiara Perkins, 4/2006
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House photo by Shealah Craighead
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House photo by Kimberlee Hewitt