Inform yourself!
Youth as a Priority
August marks International Youth Month, and at TeenSmart we are always thinking about the challenges teens face, but above all in the great opportunities that we as a society have!
1. Employment and Education:
- 3.5 million students have been left out of school. School graduation trends among Latin American students are reverting to those of 20 years ago (IDB, 2022).
- In youth ages 15 to 24, unemployment rates have gone up to 43.8% (IDB, 2021). Being excluded from education and employment prevents young people from enjoying their rights and from actively participating in the development of their countries.
2. Migration and Climate Change:
- More than 370,000 Central Americans migrate each year.
- 35% of JovenSalud’s users from Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, have remained in their countries of origin while a close relative – father, mother, guardian or sibling – has migrated.
- Young people are growing up in a world that is changing around them. Taking climate action now is vital to the well-being of new generations, who will experience three times more climate disasters than their grandparents: 95% of the thickest Arctic ice is gone and 90% of environmental damage is caused by human activity (Seed Scientific, 2021)
New generations can build “the Central American dream” and we can all support them and be part of it. They need roots, psychosocial support, and opportunities in their countries.
3. Mental Health:
Anxiety and depression represent almost 50% of the mental disorders suffered by the population ages between 10-19 in Latin America, and these have increased post-pandemic, according to the latest The State of the World’s Children Report by UNICEF.
TeenSmart continues to improve and educate itself on these topics to remain the number one online resource for young people to make positive life choices and become tomorrow’s leaders.
Listen to a story about the new intervention “My Future Without Borders” for adolescents who remain in their country of origin while a significant member of their family has migrated:
Take Action!!
Transform the world for young people
Do you work in a school or organization that serves Spanish-speaking young people?
Bring JovenSalud to your youth!
Donate to our SmartGive Campaign to reach more teens
Thank you very much to everyone who has already supported the SmartGive Campaign!
Donor support is essential to subsidize these free 24/7 teen services.
Have a coffee with us and get involved
Learn more about us, listen to inspiring stories, our current status on the Lift Campaign and become one of our top sponsors!
We would love to invite you to a virtual coffee and help you or your company get more involved with TeenSmart’s impact. Please contact: cinthia.hernandez@teensmart.net
Celebrate with us!
In recent days, our executive director, Adriana Gómez, was named “Digital Health Champion” by the Inter-American Development Bank. Get to know about her vision on how we can attract more women to the field of health and technology.
Be inspired
With the power of alliances and community!
Allies are sharing TeenSmart’s “Transform your World” campaign that seeks to attract new users from Central America and Mexico.
We want to thank the Carlos Slim Foundation; Roche Central America & the Caribbean; The Council of Ministers of Health of Central America (COMISCA); and the educational centers that are sharing this campaign on their social networks.
The MIT- SOLVE community received our Executive Director in May in Cambridge, Boston.
In an important award event, JovenSalud.net was recognized as an innovation worthy of the SOLVE award in the Equitable Classrooms category. TeenSmart is part of this great network of innovators around the world! Read more about the award here.
