OCALA—“Behind the Selfie” is the theme of the 2015 BRAZEN Summer Parent Workshop, scheduled for 6–8 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, at Howard Middle School, 1655 NW 10th St. in Ocala.

Sponsored by the Florida Department of Health in Marion County, the free workshop is designed for parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, youth group leaders and other influential adults. The event will give adults a look into the “teen world,” and how sex, social media, entertainment, peer pressure and prevalent myths influence their lives and the choices they make.

Dinner will be served for adults attending the free workshop. There will also be a drawing for a $100 Publix gift card. Due to the sensitive nature of the topics, admission is open to adults only. There will be no child care provided.

“We want to help Marion County’s adults have a conversation about the issues our children and teens are facing,” said Meaghan Crowley, the department’s Health Education program manager. “Adults have a strong influence on the decisions kids make—stronger than they may think. We will talk about how adults can help children and teens reflect on their personal values, set goals and take a stand against negative influences.”

The parent workshop follows the BRAZEN Summer Youth Rally. Julie Marie Carrier, teen success coach for MTV’s hit show Made, and Rashad Jones of Epic Youth Services will headline the youth rally June 18 at Howard Middle School.

BRAZEN is the Sexual Risk Avoidance program of the Florida Department of Health in Marion County. The program educates the community on healthy decision-making, helping to build character and self-confidence in the children and teens of Marion County.

For more information call Tracey Sapp at 352-629-0137, ext. 2284.  

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The department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit Marion.FloridaHealth.gov.