March 1 - Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools

Derek Lysinger, a fourteen-year old student, is recognized by neighborhoodchildren as a role model. They go to him when they need help with homework,and when they are looking for friendship, or just someone to talk to. He isinvolved with his church youth group at Remnant Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter Day Saints-1st Gathering Place, and holds a black belt in karate.He was nominated by Rosedale Development Association, with whom he has worked during two years withfirst-year KU medical students for their M1 Volunteer Day. Lysinger has also worked for Join Hands Daywhere he was one of 60 volunteers who worked on improvements at Whitmore Park.He helped paint the house of an 85-year old woman, devoted 26 volunteer hours to Hot Dogs in the Parksponsored by Rose Alert Neighborhood Group. He mows yards for elderly residents and vacant lots in hiscommunity. The young leader has distributed flyers, painted out graffiti, and picked up trash.As youth volunteer leader on the 2008 M1 Volunteer Day, he helped keep other youth volunteers on targetremoving ceilings, patching walls, painting, and doing clean up and yard work at Rosedale CongregationalChurch. He is pictured with his parents at the ceremony. Kansas City, Kansas can be very proud of theArrowhead Middle-School students who played superbly for our listening enjoyment.The History of The CollaborativeKeynote speaker for the program was Irene Caudillo, currently the Director of Children andFamily Services for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. She related the history of TheCollaborative. In the early 80s the Greater Kansas City YouthNet established a metro-wideprogram to stop kids from using drugs and to make metro area neighborhoods safe.As the drug problems began to decrease on the Missouri side, they seemed to move westward to Wyandotte