Free To Be Teens, by Leslie Bisbee Jordan, Executive Director
Our speaker for January 23, 2025, was Leslie Bisbee Jordan, the Executive Director of Free To Be, a non-profit dedicated to building the confidence of Sonoma County teens and empowering them to make healthy choices. Leslie was supported by four high school students, Matt, Oliver, Kate, and Reese, who are 4 of the 17 Team Innovators in the program. Leslie told us that Free to Be was started in 1989, at a time when teenagers faced a multitude of external challenges, including drinking and driving, STDs, and teen pregnancy. Many of today’s current challenges are internal, such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. The emergence of social media has greatly contributed to a national teen crisis of depression, bullying, mental illness, and self-harm, and Sonoma County is not immune to this crisis. In fact, Sonoma County’s teen suicide rate ranks the second worst in the 9 Bay Area Counties!
Free to Be believes that instilling confidence in teens is the best way to fight off these internal pressures. Free to Be partners with youth organizations and local schools to reach as many students as possible. Three programs help accomplish Free to Be’s goals: Teen Innovators, Student Workshops, and Parent Resources. Teen Innovators is a leadership program aimed at positively influencing youth by sharing personal stories. Student Workshops is a 4-session, 4-week curriculum in which they go into the classroom to discuss 4 topics; healthy relationships, emotional health, life online, and positive choices. After these workshops, kids feel 90% better prepared to stand up to peer pressures and recognize that they are more likely to make healthy decisions when they are confident. Free to Be also teaches a certificated suicide prevention program.
The teens assisting Leslie were asked a variety of questions about their experiences with Free to Be, including their favorite activities. One student mentioned their work at the Sonoma County Food Bank and learning about the suicide prevention program. Another talked about their leadership training at Westminster Woods, including how their friendships grew and the workshops. Oliver (Harry Coffey’s grandson) talked about attending the fundraising gala and meeting donors.
A big thank you to Leslie and her youthful innovators for the wonderful presentation and discussion about the good work done by Free to Be!
Click HERE to view the recording of Leslie and the teen's presentation. It will be available for a limited time.
