Oxford News

Healthy Visions, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building healthy relationships in adolescence, marriage and parenting, has announced a $100,000 fundraising campaign to support its educational programming in local middle and high schools.

The 23-year-old organization is transitioning from government to community, corporate, foundations and private individual donors to provide financial support for its program, Teen Health and Relationship Skills.

"Today, people are getting the wrong messages from society and are struggling to make the right choices that lead to healthy relationships," said West Chester Twp. resident Steve Feldmann, president of the Healthy Visions board of directors. "Healthy Visions is having a profound impact in reversing this trend and achieving great success in helping teenagers, young adults, couples and families make healthy relationship choices in all areas of their lives."

Healthy Visions' Teen Health and Relationship Skills program is conducted in middle and high school health classes in Hamilton, Butler, Clermont and Warren counties.

"What makes the Teen Health and Relationship Skills program unique is the charismatic, dynamic, entertaining team of male and female health educators who readily connect with the students." said David Ashley, program manager and a Lakota East High School graduate.

Topics covered in the three- or five-day program include dating, commitment, positive sexuality, brain development, differences between males and females, contraception, sexually-transmitted infections (STI), unwed teen pregnancy, and teen parenthood.

Healthy Visions reaches 4,000 teens annually in the Greater Cincinnati area and another 100,000 students nationally. The cost to put on Teen Health and Relationship Skills program at one school is $5,000. Cost per student per day is $7. Individual and corporate donors can sponsor a day of programming or an entire school for a year.

To donate to Healthy Visions, or for more information, contact the agency at www.healthyviisons.org, or call at (513) 793-7268. Donations can be specified to support specific schools and youth facilities.