Blog

November 29, 2021


New Teen Health Educator Training

On October 6th, our new group of Teen Health Educators gathered for their first training session! After having to train our last group of applicants virtually, we’re so excited to be able to get this new group safely together, in person, to make the most of the training and team-building. Our time began with playing […]




October 5, 2021


Suicide Awareness Prevention Month

By Jonathan Evans, Executive Director  Did you know that according to the CDC, in 2019 suicide was the second leading cause of death among children and adolescents ages 13 to 19 — and the leading cause of death among 13-year-olds? This is a statistic that Healthy Teens is committed to tackling. We spend a lot […]




September 23, 2021


World Sexual Health Awareness Month

By Sarah Averbeck, Young Adult Leader ​ The month of September recognizes World Sexual Health Month, raising awareness around issues regarding a personal sense of self-esteem; personal attractiveness and competence; freedom from sexually transmitted diseases; and sexual dysfunction. Sexual health embraces joy and sexuality throughout our lives. This is an important component of our physical […]




September 16, 2021


Building team in community

By Sarah Averbeck, Young Adult Leader Healthy Teens Coalition met for our monthly meeting on September 8th at Desoto Boys & Girls Club. The meeting was celebrated with some of the Club members preparing dinner for our Teen Health Educators! This was a great opportunity for our team to discuss new ideas and catch up. […]




September 15, 2021


We Bid Adieu to Our Beloved Treasurer, Gary Hickerson.

Our 10th  anniversary marked the end of an era for the HTC board, as we said goodbye to our dear friend, Gary, after a decade of dedicated service! Gary was a founding board member of Healthy Teens Coalition and served as our treasurer from the very beginning. He had a long and distinguished career working […]




September 14, 2021


Meet Estella!

By Sarah Averbeck, Young Adult Leader Estella Hornback is 16 years old and is a junior at The Out of Door Academy (ODA) High School. She joined Healthy Teens because of her interest in neuroscience and the effects of physical and mental health on youth. Through her involvement in the Teen Health Educator program, she […]




August 13, 2021


It’s good to be together!

By Jonathan Evans, Executive Director and Sarah Averbeck, Young Adult Leader ​ While keeping to renewed Covid safe guidelines, this week we hosted our first in-person monthly meeting for our team! Our Teen Health Educators and Young Adult Leaders met at Oasis Church Bradenton on Wednesday August 11th, 2021 for team-building, to celebrate our work this summer, […]




August 5, 2021


End of summer programs

By Jake Hanson, Young Adult Leader With the summer drawing to a close, and back-to-school season for students in Manatee and Sarasota County just around the corner, we wanted to take a moment and reflect on our work these past few months.  Throughout the summer, our Teen Health Educators and Young Adult Leaders went to […]




May 21, 2020


Healthy Teens Coalition of Manatee County to Honor High School Graduates

SARASOTA MAGAZINE,  ​While graduation ceremonies around the country continue to be canceled due to Covid19, the Healthy Teens Coalition of Manatee County, Inc. – a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of at risk youth through peer to peer education – is planning a drive by celebration to honor graduating seniors and the newest […]