DIXFIELD – Young people and adults will have a chance to learn about teen dating violence and how adults can be supportive during a two-hour workshop from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday at Dirigo High School.

The event is the culminating activity from a proclamation by Gov. John Baldacci that made the week of Feb. 5-9 Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week and will include a presentation by Voices Committed to Change.

Sen. Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport, president of the state senate, will be the featured speaker.

Roger Fenn, communications director for the state senate president, said Edmonds has had a long-standing concern with domestic violence.

“This is a very important issue to her,” he said.

Diane Gallagher, Oxford County youth program coordinator for the Abused Women’s Advocacy Project, under which Voices Committed to Change is organized, said interactive skits and activities will be among the events. Students from Dirigo and Mountain Valley high schools will take part.

During the week of the governor’s proclamation, students at Mountain Valley distributed facts about dating violence and hung posters around the school drawing attention to the issue.

According to the proclamation, a survey showed that 40 percent of high school students had been victims of dating violence at least once, while 81 percent of parents believe dating violence is not a problem or admitted they did not know it exists.

Gallagher said the workshop focuses on teaching parents about teen relationships and how they can be a positive factor in behavioral changes.

“We want adults to come away feeling energized about how they can help create healthy relationships,” Gallagher said.

Edmonds will speak at Dirigo High School on the eve of a news conference in the Hall of Flags at the State House in Augusta at 11 a.m. that will highlight legislation addressing domestic violence issues in Maine.