Council On Adolescents of Catawba County

Vision – Empowered youth making healthy life choices and achieving their full potential.

Mission – To inspire today’s youth to be physically and emotionally healthy through education, awareness and advocacy.

The Council on Adolescents offers in-school and community Healthy Youth Education programs to youth in Catawba County following North Carolina's Healthy Youth Act requirements and Healthful Living Guidelines. These prevention programs educate youth about making healthy choices, bullying, future goals, healthy relationships, internet/social media safety, nutrition, peer pressure, puberty, hygiene, reproductive health, STIs, sexual violence, teen pregnancy, setting boundaries, and avoiding risky behaviors.

The Council also administers the Lunch Buddy Program, a mentoring program for at-risk youth, to middle school students across Catawba County. This program provides youth a positive adult mentor who meets with them on a regular, planned, and consistent basis. The mentor develops a healthy relationship with the student and encourages them to succeed in school.

Goals –

• Provide Healthy Youth Education to youth and their parents
• Provide mentoring programming to at-risk youth in our community
• Provide resources to youth, parents, and community members regarding adolescent issues
• Promote community awareness of issues affecting adolescents’ well being
• Facilitate the coordination of services related to the needs of adolescents