Local leaders from southern Wake County met to work on finding things for kids to do so that they stay out of trouble.

Community Leaders from Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs and Morrisville are working on ways to keep kids busy and out of gangs.

It's an on-going effort by the Southern Regional Youth Development effort.  Officials have been working since November of last year to develop a forum for parents and kids. 

Ministers, mayors, school officials, police officers and community organization members make up the group that is developing the forum.  Through brainstorming sessions, the group wants to make sure the program they're developing reaches parents and children and prevents gang involvement in their communities. 

Two high school students told the group what they thought the forum should include.

"My main thing was the communication between the parents and the kids, that's one of the main things because if parents that will make a gang less appealing to a kid,' said Julian White, home schooled sophomore.

"It should include about having better community programs and it should include just making their children be in more positive things," said Brittany Ashe, freshman at Garner High School.

The meetings will be scheduled for some time in May and will be offered in both Spanish and English.