You're Not Alone: Support, Help, And Opportunities
You're Not Alone: Support, Help, And Opportunities
Raising and teaching teens can be tough. Here are some great resources for finding support and community.
Hi Friends! I’m Christopher Pepper, an award-winning health educator and journalist. Every week in Teen Health Today I provide advice and information to support parents, teachers, coaches, and counselors in raising and educating young people. I’m so glad you found this community. Please introduce yourself in the comments!
I Promise: You Are Not Alone
This is a challenging time to be raising and working with kids, but there are a lot of people trying to help. Here’s a selection of some of the best opportunities and resources I’ve come across recently - I hope you find them useful!
You’re Invited To A Special Lecture
On September 17th, Lisa Damour, author of the amazing book The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, will be delivering a Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina - and it will be livestreamed on Zoom. She’ll talk about what parents, caregivers, educators, and communities can do to protect and promote mental health for all teenagers.
Tuesday, September 17, 2024, 12-1:30 PM Eastern Time.
Free. Register here
Related:
Read my interview with Lisa about how she helped shape “Inside Out 2”
Watch “Toxic Online Culture: Unpacking the Influence of Social Media, Memes, Gaming (and More),” a Common Sense Media event where Lisa and I served as guest experts.
Learn Strategies To Help Stressed, Anxious, and Depressed Youth
As part of her mission to expand the workforce of clinicians for teens, Lisa Damour is offering a new class for people with clinical licenses (psychologists, physicians, social workers, counselors, MFTs, addiction counselors, etc.) who care for teens. It’s called “A Complete Guide to Teen Counseling - Powerful Strategies to Create Transformative Change for Stressed, Anxious, and Depressed Youth.”
Offered live on Friday, October 18, 2024, and later available on demand.
Register here - CE Credits Available
Learn With The Parent Venture
The Parent Venture provides inclusive, high-quality education for families and the community.
Sign up for their newsletter to see what’s coming up in the Parent Education Series, and check out the incredible video library of past speakers on YouTube.
Take Growing Into Your Workshops
In its courses, Growing Into You helps families connect by facilitating engaging, gender-inclusive, fun learning spaces that aim to help young people and their adults can have open, honest, shame-free talks that keep kids safer.
Join The Advocates For Young Men Network
Raising boys? Working with boys? You’re invited to join the Advocates For Young Men Community, a new offering from the Ever Forward Club: “Imagine a community where every action, every voice, and every effort is dedicated to reshaping the future of our young men. Picture a space where advocates, mentors, and supporters come together with a shared mission to guide, uplift, and empower.”
Sign up here to join the online community and learn about the next meeting.
Related:
Learn The Science of Empathy
Discover strategies to receive, honor, hold, and respect others’ points of view in Perspective Receiving versus Taking: The Science of Empathy, a special online event from Greater Good in Education.
The free event will feature Erin Vong Limoges and Jessica Fagen from Voice of Witness, an oral history nonprofit that advances human rights by amplifying the stories of people impacted by — and fighting against — injustice.
Register today to reserve your spot!
Get Updated Support With Sex Education
Being a sex educator can be challenging. In its newly-updated support guide, The Healthy Teen Network addresses questions like:
Should I share my personal opinions?
How much should I share about my personal life?
How do I help young people feel more comfortable?
How do I avoid coming off as judgy?
Sign Up For Amaze.org’s SexEdCon
Join Amaze.org for an engaging and informative virtual conference dedicated to advancing sex education. This event brings together educators, healthcare professionals, advocates, and students to explore the best practices in sex education. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this conference offers valuable insights and practical tools to enhance your work.
Know Any Terrific High School Leaders?
Here’s an exciting opportunity from A Call To Men: “Calling all young change makers! We are excited to announce the application for our 2024-2025 Youth ACT! cohort is officially open! We are extending an invitation to high school leaders across the country to join us in advocating for authentic, healthy, and respectful relationships.”
A Call to Men is deeply invested in young people. They believe that youth voices are essential in their work to create a better world for ALL women, girls, men, boys, LGBQ, trans, and nonbinary people. To help elevate and center young voices, they convened Youth ACT! — a group of teenage leaders “Actively Committed To” promoting healthy masculinity, healthy relationships, and preventing gender-based violence.
This is a virtual and paid opportunity for high school students to receive professional and personal development, gain mentorship from leading professionals, and network with other young leaders around the United States. Members will engage in meaningful work that supports social justice and equity, with a focus on education, outreach, and community engagement. Don’t wait to forward this to a rising leader in your life — applications close on October 7, 2024!
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