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BUTLER COUNTY — Agency directors want community input on how to help children become successful adults. Sixteen-year-old Matthew Menche has a suggestion: volunteer.

"For teens to become successful, they have to participate and take control (of their lives)," the Hamilton High School sophomore said. Adults "need to lead by example."

Menche and his twin sister,

Christina, have been working with adult volunteers in search of ways to help children become successful adults.

The Butler County United Way

will host the "Youth will Grow into Successful Adults" summit at

3:30 p.m. Feb. 1 and 7:30 a.m. Feb. 2 at the Butler Technology Public Safety Education Complex, 5140 Princeton-Glendale Road in Liberty Twp. The event is open to the public. Reservations are due Jan. 23.

"The purpose is (to) bring together all sorts of people to do some creative thinking," said Dr. John Bohley, executive director of the Butler County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Service Board. "Our hope is we get a cross section so we can have a creative exchange of ideas. United Way has gone through a long process the community needs to assess."

Bohley serves as part of the United Way's Community Impact Committee that planned the summit.

The two-day event will include topic discussions, brainstorming and working in small groups to generate ideas to benefit the county.

Student volunteer Menche and others have interviewed children and adults to find out their thoughts. Results will be presented at the summit, Menche said.

"It's an opportunity for the entire community to get on one issue, one topic. I don't think that's happened in Butler County," said Carolyn Winslow, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters for Butler County and summit organizer. "It's an important issue. Everybody is affected by it."

To register for the summit, call (513) 863-0800.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2180 or chubbard@coxohio.com.