TeenSmart International

Since 2004, TeenSmart International has provided JovenSalud.net and, recently JovenSalud mobile App, for vulnerable, Spanish-speaking youth - an interactive, online platform where youth have 24/7 access to online essential health information, health courses, and personalized counseling. TeenSmart's uses online technologies to empower youth to make smart decisions, live healthy lives and contribute to their communities. At TeenSmart we engage teens to prevent or reduce the six risky behaviors (violence, tobacco, alcohol/drugs, risky sexual behaviors, sedentarianism and poor nutrition) that are established in adolescence and that contribute to 75% of health care costs of illness and death in Latin America and the United States (CDC, UNICEF, WHO). We recognize that adolescents need knowledge, skills, and motivation (health belief model theory of change) in order to avoid these risky behaviors and do the real work of adolescence: advance through key developmental experiences and complex emotional and moral questioning on their path to adulthood. We believe that for teenagers as individuals and for the society that surrounds them, adolescence is an opportunity for skill-building, introspection, building community, questioning status quo, exploring, and learning. By leveraging the flexibility of a virtual platform, we have helped over 147,000 teens from 20+ countries prevent or reduce the risky behaviors that result in illness and disease, thereby benefiting families, societies, and overwhelmed health care services. Teens who otherwise would not have access to a trained mental-health coach or a quality sex-education course, now have 24/7 access. Over 10,000 youth have graduated from TeenSmart's virtual life-skills courses and each week 300-500 youth access online coaching. As a result, TeenSmart youth report statistically significant health improvements such as: greater family communication, less depression and suicidal ideation, less weapon carrying and fighting, healthier dietary habits, postponement of alcohol consumption, and greater contraceptive use. In addition to reducing the burden of illness and disease on overwhelmed health systems through preventative health, TeenSmart is able to identify cases of abuse or suicidal ideation in teens (abuse, suicidal ideation) and coordinate a rapid health response with local officials to save lives.