Two of Pahrump's local youth prevention specialists have been invited to host a brief workshop this month at a national convention focusing on enforcing and preventing underage drinking.

The convention, called "A Notable History: Forging the Future," will be held in Tennessee and host various law enforcement agencies and prevention organizations that help at-risk youths.

Francine Winters of WestCare and Stacy Smith of Nye Communities Coalition will attend the convention with several youths to show other attendees how the arts can be effectively combined with prevention, something with which both local groups have a lot of experience.

Several youths involved in the local prevention programs will also attend the convention.

"Arts have been considered a community center type of thing, but we want to show them arts are a perfect fit for prevention," Winters said.

The local organizations have involved at-risk youths with programs including a drum circle, a guitar class during which participants perform at the House of Blues, various drama programs and most recently the multi-media Methodology campaign.

Although Methodology, a program in which youths designed T-shirts, wrote and performed skits, wrote and filmed two commercials and even had a travelling art show, primarily targeted methamphetamine use, Winters believes it can be easily adapted to suit other youth issues.

"We're going to show them how easy it is to change it to alcohol prevention," Winters explained.

Several youths will perform Methodology skits, and the group's commercials and artworks will be displayed.

"We'll show them how to do it in different kinds of communities," Winters said. "We're kind of hoping to get them to think outside the box."

In addition, Winters said she and Smith plan to help attending organizations learn to foster partnerships -- whether through grants or manpower -- with local community organizations such as art guilds to start and keep prevention programs.