We can hardly believe that summer 2017 is drawing to a close, and it’s time to look toward a fresh school year! As always, we have a schedule that is jam-packed with classes and groups that share the message of healthy relationships with Citrus County teens. We will be at the 3 public high schools, Camp E-Nini-Hassee, and SRMI/Renaissance every week this quarter. Can’t wait to reconnect with our students!
Did you know that Citrus County has some unique statistics regarding youth? We make up just 0.7% of Florida’s population, but account for nearly 2% of the removals (where a child has to be removed from his or her home and cared for by a guardian or the state). Per capita, that is more than double the child removal rates of Orange, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Miami-Dade counties. Senior Attorney for the 5th Region, Stephen Teaster, says that drugs & alcohol are to blame in nearly all of his cases. This is why PREVENTION MATTERS – we must be a community that provides positive social norming for students at every turn.
One of the things that Aspire does to uplift positive social norms is to host Friday Night Done Right events with our local prevention partners on the Street Team. Street Team is an alliance of prevention partners in Citrus County, formed to support and promote each other’s efforts to empower our teens. The next Friday Night Done Right event is TONIGHT – Friday, August 11th, at the YMCA. It’s 6pm-9:30pm, and a totally free event for middle and high schoolers. Check it out!