Teens Taking Action
A peer-to-peer counseling program of Planned Parenthood, a Cone Health Foundation grantee since 2003.
After joining Teens Taking Action, Jade went from being a self-described rebellious lost soul to taking advanced placement classes and getting all A’s and B’s.
Teens Taking Action helped Jade focus on school and getting ready for college. Through the program, she has improved her self-esteem, decision-making abilities, public speaking skills, and appreciation for diversity and inclusion.
Jade is now poised for further academic success as well as success in getting along with others. She plans to attend North Carolina Central University in the fall.
By age 17, Kristen had experienced a lot -- her mother was kidnapped, her parents split and her mother was the victim of domestic violence that kept them moving and starting over time and again. Kristen was socially withdrawn and apathetic about her future.
Teens Taking Action helped Kristen achieve stability, consistency and self-esteem. The program has given her a way to build her inner strength while escaping the pressures of life. “When my world is crashing up against me, I can go to a peer counseling meeting or speak at an event and suddenly what I am going through no longer is so bad,” she says.
The program provides her with a stipend for purchasing school clothes and supplies. Equally important, the program provides her with the tools, strength and courage she needs to succeed. Kristen has been accepted at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Campbell University and East Carolina University, and will be attending East Carolina University in the fall.