Fact Forward

Exciting News! Early Bird Registration is Now Open for the 2025 Adolescent Health Spring Summit 📅 Mark your calendars for April 8-9, 2025 and join us in Gastonia, NC, for a two-day event for youth supporting professionals in North Carolina. The summit is an opportunity to connect, engage, and network with subject matter experts on topics surrounding adolescent health education and wellness. 🔔 Don't Miss Out on Early Bird Pricing! Register now to secure your spot at a discounted rate! https://lnkd.in/gCrk6yUu 🎤 Call for Proposals: Do you have innovative ideas or insights to share? We're now accepting presentation proposals that align with our mission. Submit your proposal by November 20th! We want to hear from you. https://lnkd.in/gjdJPr7M Get ready to be inspired, learn, and connect! #EarlyBirdRegistration #CallForProposals #SpringSummit #NCTrainings #NCConference #ProfessionalDevelopement

🧠🌱 Navigating Puberty: Brain, Body, and Behavior is a 2-hour training for adults dedicated to supporting young people. Dive deep into reproductive biology, brain development, and the physical changes of puberty to better understand how these elements shape adolescent behavior and decision-making. Whether you're a guardian, educator, coach, or mentor, this session is packed with valuable insights to help you confidently understand and guide young people. Have you faced challenges while supporting young people through puberty? What specific topics or questions do you hope this training will address? Share your thoughts below! 🤔 🔗 Register now: https://lnkd.in/gG9xSPgE #PubertyTraining #SupportYouth #AdolescentDevelopment #BrainAndBody #YouthMentorship #Educators #Coaches #Guardians #AdolescentBehavior #ProfessionalDevelopment

🏈 The Fact Forward team huddled up today for the Hard Knocks: Fact Forward Staff Training Camp! We're tackling new strategies and gearing up for a winning season of making a positive impact. #Teamwork #FactForward #TrainingCamp

The deadline has been extended to Aug 30th. Visit https://lnkd.in/eJf-KtiU for more information.

Thank you to the Danville, VA Sexual and Maternal Health Taskforce for having Fact Forward and me speak on how support your community initiative! #adolescenthealth

Introducing Dr. Rena P. Dixon With a distinguished career marked by a deep commitment to reproductive health and social justice, Dr. Dixon is poised to steer Fact Forward into this exciting new era. Dr. Dixon brings a wealth of experience and a dynamic approach to advancing our mission. Her focus is set to guide Fact Forward through the evolving landscape of reproductive and sexual health education. Under her leadership, we anticipate groundbreaking initiatives, strengthened partnerships, and an unwavering dedication to empowering young people with the knowledge and resources they need.

Meet Beth De Santis, The Catalyst:   During unprecedented times, effective leadership is more crucial than ever. Between 2016-2023, Beth De Santis steered the organization through the challenges of a pandemic, navigated tough political climates, and faced threats to federal funding with resilience and foresight. Her ability to pivot, embrace new technologies, and find creative solutions enabled Fact Forward to seize opportunities that arose from those difficult times. Her leadership was instrumental in expanding Fact Forward's reach into North Carolina, ensuring the organization's mission continued to thrive and impact communities positively. As we celebrate our 30th Anniversary, we will continue to build upon Beth’s legacy of resilience.

Meet Forrest Alton, The Game Changer:  In the realm of leadership, some merely navigate, while others redefine the entire landscape. From 2007 to 2016, Forrest Alton revolutionized our approach to teen pregnancy prevention and support for young parents. Under his leadership, Fact Forward (formerly the SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy) secured nearly $15 million in federal funding to bolster teen pregnancy prevention efforts across the state. This enabled the organization to distribute thousands of dollars annually to community and school-based programs. As we celebrate our 30th anniversary and look ahead to the next 30 years, we will continue to invest in what Forrest called our most valuable resource: our young people.

From 2002 to 2007, Dr. Suzan D. Boyd's vision, dedication, and innovative leadership propelled Fact Forward to new heights. Under her guidance, the organization grew significantly, expanding from three to fifteen employees and increasing its budget by 500%. Our annual conference, Summer Institute, underwent a transformation, earning nationwide acclaim as one of the premier adolescent reproductive health conferences in the country. We also achieved a significant milestone by obtaining our first federal funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under her leadership. As we celebrate our 30th Anniversary, we remember Dr. Boyd's contributions to Fact Forward. They are immeasurable, and her impact on reproductive health education in South Carolina will be remembered with deep respect and gratitude.