The keynote presentation for the 25th-annual Quad Cities Youth Conference at the RiverCenter in Davenport on January 24 and 25 will be the MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe, an acronym for Messages Which Are Hopeful.

At its third appearance at this conference in the past nine years, the issues-oriented ensemble will combine real-life drama with contemporary music and audience interaction. An overall focus is what's happening with today's youth and their families, and a common thread is the importance of making the right choices. Current MWAH! troupe members range in age from nine to 19 and live in 11 cities and towns in the western suburbs of Chicago and across northern Illinois.