The city of Santa Clarita’s annual Teen Scene Unplugged is back, but with a new name and theme for local teens and parents.

This year, the annual event has changed its name to Teen Scene Plugged-In because the city and Blue Ribbon Task Force want our community members to stay engaged and plugged in with challenges facing local youth.

This year’s theme is focused around families surviving and thriving in the 21st century. The challenges that many parents faced years ago as teens are very different from the types of issues Santa Clarita youth experience today.

Every day, teens are confronted by a variety of concerns including peer pressure, stress, gangs, violence, and sex.

As a parent, it’s difficult to know how to talk about these topics with teens. That’s why the city is bringing in a panel of community experts to offer advice for enhancing family communication and building relationships.

Santa Clarita and the Blue Ribbon Task Force will address these issues and many more at the annual Teen Scene Plugged-In event on Wednesday, March 20, at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons.

This dynamic and engaging program is designed to help parents understand today’s teen culture and provide parents with information on connecting with their kids from community experts, including presenters: April Tith, marriage and family therapist intern from the Santa Clarita Child and Family Center; Kim Goldman, Executive Director of the SCV Youth Project; Kathy Hunter, MS, PPS, director of student services at the William S. Hart Union High School District; and Patricia E. Patton, Ph.D. and clinical psychologist.

Each year, more than 400 teens and parents attend the Blue Ribbon Task Force’s annual event, which digs into tough teen issues and provides information and useful resources to help participants get through the crucial teenage years.

One of the reasons why this annual event is so successful is because it gets parents and teens talking. Teen Scene Plugged-In will help parents gain awareness of underlying issues and life stressors that lead to unproductive teen choices.

It also provides parents with concrete solutions to help them understand, connect, and communicate with their teens about the strains kids face every day.

Teen Scene is an annual event hosted by the city’s Blue Ribbon Task Force. Formed in January 2000 by community members and the Santa Clarita City Council, the Blue Ribbon Task Force was designed to provide information and education to the community about alcohol, drug and tobacco use by teens.

Community leaders signed a Community Charter that recognized their collective responsibility and commitment in providing a quality, safe, and substance-free environment for the youth of Santa Clarita.

The Task Force is composed of community-based organizations, local school districts, parents, youth, law enforcement, businesses and city and county representatives who meet regularly to address local teen-related issues.

The Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons is located at 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road.

A resource fair kicks off the event at 6 p.m. and the presentation starts at 6:30 p.m.

This event is free and open to the public. Parents with teens and pre-teens are encouraged to attend.

For more information on the Teen Scene program, please contact the Human Services Office at (661) 250-3708 or visit www.Santa-Clarita.com.

Frank Ferry is a Santa Clarita City Council member and can be reached at: fferry@santa-clarita.com.