CHAMPION — Dozens of students at Champion High School shuffled through the school gymnasium Friday to check out the many ways they can get involved and make positive choices that strengthen their community.

The annual YES! Fest featured booths from a number of local community groups and activities like a drunken driving simulator and a magician’s show, along with the robotics team showing off their hard work via a robot they created, programmed and dubbed, “Redacted due to copyright.”

The YES! Fest was hosted by Champion Teens Care, a group of dedicated high schoolers focused on inclusiveness, and building character and leadership.

School counselors Danielle Fahmy and Casey Vastag advise the group. They say the event is a way to encourage kids to say “yes” to positive things, like volunteering and joining clubs, instead of risky behaviors like drugs or alcohol.

Principal Tracy Herrholtz explained the origins of the event.

“Back in the 80s, there was the big campaign, ‘Just Say No,'” she said. “That’s still negative. What are we going to do instead? If we’re saying no to drugs, no to alcohol, no to risky behaviors, what can we say yes to? What’s positive?”

Booths filled the gym, run by community partners like Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, Warren Family Mission and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Students could learn about volunteering, careers and safety.

At one popular spot, many students crowded around a table for a drunken driving simulator. They took turns putting on a headset to “drive” a mini mock street, seeing how hard it is to focus when impaired. Nearby, the SMASH Team — Students Making a Safer Highway — let kids try on special goggles that blur vision to show the dangers of drunken driving. A magician also performed, adding excitement to the day.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Dan DeLuca and trooper Deip Pham shared tips for safe driving.

“We’re telling them to make good decisions,” DeLuca said. “Always be cognizant of their surroundings, whether they’re driving or just out in public.”

When kids ask how fast they can go without getting pulled over, he tells them the speed limit is the law, not a suggestion.

The Warren Family Mission booth, staffed by volunteer coordinator Christina Johns, taught ways to help others. Johns said the event helps students build a habit of doing good things for their community.

Other highlights included a robotics club where students build and compete with robots, a new chess club and a pep club. A conservation group brought barn owls and shared facts about wildlife.

The academic team booth challenged classmates with a game called “Are You Smarter Than an Academic Team Member?” Senior Maye Robinson, a team member, said it’s like trivia with buzzers.

“It’s challenging, and it kind of makes me feel smart,” she said. “It’s very fun and interactive.”

Robinson added that YES! Fest is a great way to try new things and think on the spot.

The event ties into school goals, like earning graduation seals for community service. Herrholtz noted that students need 40 service hours for a special cord at graduation, but many do more — like raking leaves or helping at track meets.

“To give the kids an opportunity to do that here within the school setting is a real benefit to them,” she said.

Organizers hope YES! Fest inspires students to look toward a bright future. As Herrholtz put it, “You gotta have something to hang your hat on.”