Healthy Teens has been proud to support the School District of Manatee County’s Teenage Parent Program for a number of years. This wonderful program supports pregnant and parenting teens to complete their high school education while receiving critical information and help to care for their new baby. It is a privilege to help support these […]

E-cigarette use has increased throughout the years, especially among our teenage population. Today, we are in the midst of a youth vaping epidemic. Many believe that vaping is better than smoking cigarettes, but in reality, both negatively affect the health of the user as well as the health of those around them. Yes, electronic nicotine […]

Our team of Teen Heallth Educators and Young Adult Leaders at the end of an amazing day together! Steve Shenbaum from Game On Nation helping us to Engage with Purpose By Noelle Bencie, Healthy Teens Young Adult Leader and Social Media Coordinator On July 22, Healthy Teens invited our Teen Health Educators and Young Adult […]

By Noelle Bencie, Healthy Teens Young Adult Leader and Social Media Coordinator As back-to-school season is upon us, Healthy Teens recognizes the outstanding work of our Teen Health  Educators and congratulates them on completing another successful summer of peer education for youth in our community. Throughout the summer, our incredible team of Teen Health Educators […]

It is with deep sadness that Healthy Teens marks the passing of a remarkable lady, to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude for helping in the establishment of Healthy Teens and our lauded Teen Health Educator program. Marilyn Steele, AKA Norma Marilyn Harger Steele, was born September 13, 1925 in Cleveland, OH, the […]

With students out of school and a sunny memorial day to welcome the summer, Healthy Teens is excited to announce that the 2022 Summer Programs begin next week at various locations in Manatee and Sarasota County! The teams of Teen Health Educators and Young Adult Leaders are trained and eager to have in-person conversations with […]

The Giving Challenge 2022 is here! SW Florida’s premier one-day giving event is aimed at encouraging individual philanthropy to nonprofits based in the region. Healthy Teens is once again taking part and we’re excited to have your support! The Giving Challenge 2022 will be held on Tuesday, April 26th at 12:00 PM through Wednesday, April […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 and […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 teens since the pandemic started! Our Teen Health Educators and Young Adult Leaders met at Oasis Church Bradenton on Wednesday August 11th, 2021 for team-building, to celebrate our […]

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 […]

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 […]