The Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation has invested a $90,000 grant in a community-wide Peer Education Program for young adults, as well as high quality, affordable preventative health care for the community, which will be led by Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida (PPSWCF). PPSWCF has been providing care in Sarasota since 1965, working closely with young people in the community under the belief that when they have accurate, honest and straightforward information, they are empowered to make better decisions.

The Peer Education Program will empower teen educators by training them on healthy relationships, sex education and medically accurate resources to share with their friends and classmates, in order to respectfully meet teens where they are with accurate, values-neutral information. The program will train teens to increase family communication around sexual health and healthy relationships, which bridges the gap between parent and/or caregiver and child communication, as well as with siblings; identify and critically analyze media that perpetuates sexual violence and gender inequality; talk about consent and healthy relationships; serve as a respectful resource for everyone regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity; and gain confidence in their communication, leadership and public speaking skills.

Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida