Maranda Collins – TASK Eastern Regional Consultant
marandacol@yahoo.com

Maranda has been working with the TASK program as a Regional Consultant for nearly four years. She has greatly enjoyed her time spent with TASK and has a strong regional board with 29 members.

Maranda has a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science from Kansas State University and a Master's Degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M University.  She lives in Chanute, Kansas with her husband and two children. Maranda has experience teaching college science classes and works full-time as the Director of the Upward Bound Program at Neosho County Community College.

Members of the TASK Eastern Region Board attended the Kansas Spit Tobacco Summit in Hutchinson, Kansas on August 29th, 2007. Two members of the board, Jessie Parker and Elizabeth Tharman, were responsible for giving a break out session presentation entitled “Keys to engaging youth priority populations.” The presentation included the “same difference” game to highlight the need for diversity in youth programming. Strategies for recruiting, motivating, and retaining diverse groups of students were also shared.

 

 

 
 

The Eastern Region TASK Board hosted a Smokeless Does Not Mean Harmless Training on April 28th, 2007 in Emporia, Kansas at the Best Western Hospitality House. The event was attended by 24 people representing eight youth groups in Eastern Kansas. Groups at the event included: Yates Center High School Youth Coalition, Girl Scout Troop 842 (Columbus), Hiawatha Middle School, Allen County 4-H, Melvern Youth Pride, Jackson County Youth Coalition, Doniphan West High School Student Council, and Students Working Against Tobacco (Emporia).

Six Eastern Region TASK Board members ranging in age from 13 to 17 presented the topics for the day which included: Smokeless Tobacco Questions and Answers, Community Mobilization and Policy Change, Talking Points, Suggested Activities, and a Resources Session. Ginger Park with the KDHE Tobacco Use Prevention Program presented a session on Counter Marketing Basics and Tips for Working with Media as well as Earned Media Tools. Corey Taylor ended the day by sending everyone home motivated to conduct smokeless tobacco use prevention activities in their respective communities.



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