SouthFlorida.com | Teen Link South Florida

Teenlink weekend at the Florida Renaissance Festival on Feb. 18-19: The Florida Renaissance Festival is opening its doors to Teenlink readers on Feb. 18-19 with FREE admission for any student with a high school ID and the special advertisement on page 5 on this week's Teenlink. Experience the glory of the Renaissance era as the Royal Court characters and peasants come to life with sword fighting, merry making and period-themed entertainment. Bring your school ID and come dressed in period clothing. 10 a.m. until sunset, Quiet Waters Park, 401 S. Powerline Road, Deerfield Beach. 888-695-0888 or Ren-fest.com.

Improvised Shakespeare!

The public will have three chances to get into the act when the Broward Center for the Performing Arts presents Improvised Shakespeare! in the Amaturo Theater. Using audience suggestion, the Improvised Shakespeare Co. creates a fully improvised play in Elizabethan style which might be filled with power struggles, star-crossed lovers, sprites, kings, queens, princesses, sword-play, rhyming couplets, asides, insults, persons in disguise and all that we've come to expect from the pen of the great Bard.

Students can attend the Smart Stage Matinee on Friday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. Tickets are $6 for individual seats and $5.50 for groups of 10 or more. The show will also be performed as part of the Broward Series 2011-2012 Off-Broadway Series on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and $35.

The public is also invited to get into the act at a FREE workshop with the Improvised Shakespeare Company on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 5 p.m. in the Abdo New River Room. Participants will learn the basic rules of Elizabethan dialogue and then create their own contemporary scenes. For example, a teenager saying he cannot go see the latest movie with a friend until he finishes his homework becomes "I am bound as a prisoner is. My father and mother have forbid me such pleasures 'til I complete the Herculean tasks that the academy has set before me." For more information or to register for the workshop, call 954-254-9172.

The Broward Center is at 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Get tickets at 954-462-0222 or http://www.browardcenter.org.

South Broward to perform at Gulfstream Park

South Broward High's drama students will stage free, live musical performances Feb. 17 and 24 at The Village at Gulfstream Park to raise funds to attend Florida's prestigious State Thespian Festival in March. The students will perform various Broadway show tunes, including numbers from their State-selected production of "Next to Normal," 6–9 p.m. both Fridays.

The students will also sell tickets to their one-night-only encore performance of "Next to Normal" on Friday, March 2. Additionally, The Village at Gulfstream Park will raffle prizes and giveaways throughout the performances. The Village at Gulfstream Park is at 501 S. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach. For information, visit http://www.thevillageatgulfstreampark.com or sbhsdrama.com.

Teen Dating Violence Awareness

February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, and Women in Distress is looking to "Start the Conversation" with educational seminars throughout the month on the topic of teen dating violence and prevention.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "one in 10 high school students have experienced physical violence from a dating partner in the past year, while one in four adolescents report verbal, emotional, physical or sexual dating violence each year."

Fort Lauderdale's mayor issued a proclamation this week declaring February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, and Women in Distress has scheduled violence-prevention presentations at a number of Broward schools, including Flanagan, Monarch, Piper, Boyd Anderson and Western.

For information or to schedule a presentation at your school, contact Patrick DeCarlo at pdecarlo@WomenInDistress.org or 954-760-9800.

Key Club Spring Zone Rally

The Key Club Spring Zone Rally will be held on Sunday February 12 at Piper High School from 12 pm to 4 pm. The cost is $5 per person, and club members are encouraged to bring family and friends. The dress code is business professional for all attendees.

Anika Reed, Everglades High

Coral Glades DECA to host car wash

Coral Glades High's DECA will have a car wash on Saturday, Feb. 11, to raise funds for the club. The wash will be held at the 7-11 on Coral Ridge Drive and Sample Road.

Sarah Pruzansky, Coral Glades High

Miramar High plans talent show

Miramar High's Senior Class will stage its second Annual Talent Show on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. Students will display their many talents to raise funds for the school. Tickets $8.

Brieana Frith, Miramar High

Feeding Children Everywhere at Archbishop McCarthy

On Feb. 23, students at Archbishop McCarthy will come together to package 100,000 meals to send to Haiti and Uganda. Partnering with the nonprofit Feeding Children Everywhere, students will assemble nutritionally perfect meals of rice, lentils, dehydrated vegetables and a vitamin blend. To donate, text AMHSisFCE to 85944 or visit http://www.feedingchildreneverywhere.com/archbishopmccarthyhs.

Anthony Segreto, Archbishop McCarthy

Presenting 'The Pajama Game'

The Coral Glades Drama Department will perform the musical "The Pajama Game" at Coral Springs High. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Feb. 9-10, and 2 and 7 p.m. Feb. 11. Tickets $10.

Shannen Mitchell, Coral Glades High

College Fair scheduled

Cypress Bay High will host its annual College Fair in the Cypress Bay cafeteria on Thursday, Feb. 16, 6–8 p.m. All underclassmen and parents from any school are welcome to attend.

Admission representatives from more than 60 universities will be available to talk with students and parents about steps they need to take to prepare for college. These representatives will provide in-depth information on admission requirements, campus life and different universities.

Paige Levin, Cypress Bay High

Eco-friendly burger joint comes to the Walk

High Eco-friendly restaurants are a tree hugger's dream, which is why the Walk in Coral Springs is proud to present their new restaurant, BurgerFi. BurgerFi stands for Burger Fixation. The family oriented burger joint has all natural, steroid free, pink slime free, and hormone free food. Everything in the joint is 100 percent recycled from the napkins all the way down to the chairs. The chairs are made of 111 recycled coke bottles each. The menu varies from natural burgers; Chicago, New York and Texas hotdogs; six different types of French fries; onion rings; natural sugar cane Fanta; Coke from Mexico; and much more. So make sure to stop by the new restaurant, eat a great meal, and help the environment at the same time.

Sarah Pruzansky, Coral Glades High

Stop! The Violence Video Contest

The Mosaic Theatre of Plantation invites high school students to submit a two- to five-minute original video on the topic of anti-bullying. Be as creative as possible. Must be submitted by April 2. Finalists will be announced in May. Email the video file or link to VideoContest@mosaictheatre.com. Call 954-577-8243.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

Two students were named the top youth volunteers of 2012 in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Samantha Kerker, 16, of Boca Raton and David Barge, 13, of Miami will each receive $1,000, engraved silver medallions and will be honored from May 5-8 in Washington, D.C., according to a news release.

Several others were named Distinguished Finalist for their volunteer service, including Alexander Fields-Lefkovic, 18, of Plantation; Jonathan Ludmir, 18, of Aventura; and Haley Moss, 17, of Parkland.

Everybody cut Footloose!

Paramount Home Media Distribution is giving fans of the hit film Footloose the chance to win a dance inspired by the movie for their school! Just visit www.facebook.com/FootlooseMovie to vote for your school, then tell all of your friends and tweet using the #Footloose hashtag to earn extra votes. You can vote once a day and even download posters on Facebook to put up at your school and spread the word.

Students at the winning school will get to kick up their heels with a DJ, professional dancers to get the party started, a dance contest with prizes, a photo booth, themed decorations and more fun and surprises, all courtesy of Paramount. Hurry, you've only got until March 2 to get your votes in!