I never really thought I was a “creative” person. I’ve always been drawn to the field of science and health. I liked math as a kid because there was a right answer and usually the “right way” to get it. I certainly wouldn’t call myself good at drawing, painting, or even writing. I used to think that creativity only referred to the arts, and that someone would or would not be “creative.” And I most certainly thought someone had to be creative to be an innovator.

But as I stepped into the innovation space as a project coordinator for In/Tend, I came to realize my definition of creativity was very narrow, that there were many ways creativity can show up in the world, and that maybe I was already being innovative.

But as I stepped into the innovation space as a project coordinator for In/Tend, I came to realize my definition of creativity was very narrow, that there were many ways creativity can show up in the world, and that maybe I was already being innovative.

So let me share with you how puzzles gave me a platform to reimagine what creativity and innovation meant, and how we might already be using innovation in our work.

Different approaches to the same problem

I love puzzles. I love the process of trying to figure out a problem and the moment when the solution is in sight. But do you know a really cool thing about puzzles? Everyone approaches them differently. While not every puzzle has multiple ways to solve it, the way each person brings themselves and their lived experience to a problem is unique. One person may approach a jigsaw puzzle by finding the edge pieces, while another person may start by grouping the individual pieces by color. Maybe you saw someone use a method and are trying to replicate it, or you and three friends are working together to complete the puzzle.

Regardless of the approach, the decision on how to approach a puzzle is a creative one. But how does innovation relate to my puzzle analogy? Well, let me ask you this: Have you ever completed a puzzle using one method and had it work the whole time for the entire puzzle, and for every puzzle you have ever done? I’ll take a wild guess and say it’s unlikely. That is where innovation comes in. When something doesn’t work, you probably think about or change your approach. You took what you tried, maybe what other people tried, or phoned a friend. That pivot? That moment you realize your approach isn’t working? That, my friend, is innovation.

Adaptation is creativity

Just as no single puzzle-solver holds the only right method, no single professional holds the only right approach to supporting young people.

Creativity looks different for everyone, and so can innovation. Just as no single puzzle-solver holds the only right method, no single professional holds the only right approach to supporting young people. This is why innovation in adolescent sexual and reproductive health is so important. Young people navigating questions about their bodies, their identities, and their futures deserve programs and support that are as dynamic as they are. The conventional approaches to sexual and reproductive health education have historically left too many young people behind. It takes creativity and innovation in how we teach and how we design programs and services to meet young people where they are and help them build lives that feel like theirs.

Think about how you already adapt in your day-to-day: how you explain the same concept differently to different young people, how you adjust a training when the audience needs more examples, how you follow a young person’s lead in a conversation rather than following a script. That is innovation. Turns out, you are probably already doing it. The magic of innovation happens when we bring our different strengths and approaches to the same table. When we bring our authentic selves, with our unique problem-solving approaches, our lived experiences, and our individual strengths, we build programs for young people that are more human, more accessible, and ultimately more effective. Programs and services for young people should be designed with young people at the center, just like a puzzle built around its image. Every piece is different, every piece has a place, and every piece is essential.

Too often in life, we think we need to wait until we’ve got a final product—polished, proven, and perfect. Sure, a polished, finished product is great. But there’s value in the story as it unfolds, too. And yet, fearing that our early drafts, unfinished ideas, or low-fi prototypes aren’t ready can hold us back from our own growth as well as limit opportunities for others.

At Healthy Teen Network, we believe the “messy middle”—the prototyping, the pivoting, and the raw learning—is exactly where the most vital connections and growth happen.

At Healthy Teen Network, we believe the “messy middle”—the prototyping, the pivoting, and the raw learning—is exactly where the most vital connections and growth happen. This year, our conference theme is all about belonging, and that includes the unconventional, the in-process, and the innovative.

If you’re in this “messy middle,” you don’t have to wait to reach the finish line to share what you’ve learned, make valuable connections, spark new ideas, and gain essential feedback to help you continue your journey. Particularly for the dreamers, doers, and changemakers out there pushing the boundaries of imagination in adolescent health, our national conference is an ideal space for you to continue your innovation journey!

We invite you to consider five ways your work in progress belongs in the #HealthyTeen26 space:

1. Exhibit: Gather Insights & Make Connections

Innovation shouldn’t happen in a vacuum. When you exhibit at our conference, you invite the wider adolescent sexual and reproductive health community into your development process. Your exhibit becomes a space where:

• Your solution belongs: Let practitioners and peers get hands-on with what you’ve built so far.
• Voices are heard: Gather real-time feedback from the people who work with young people every day. Their insights can ensure your solution is made for the real world and will make a difference.
• Partnerships begin: Connect with the organizations and individuals who see the potential in your vision and want to help you bring it to life.

2. Present a Workshop: Share and Humanize the Process

Our attendees—your peers in adolescent health—don’t just want to see a finished product; they want to see themselves in your journey and imagine how they could do the same. Presenting a workshop allows you to show that even the challenges belong in our collective story.

• Normalize the hurdles: Share how you met your latest challenge. When we talk about our struggles, we make it safe for others to do the same.
• Honor the pivot: Discuss what you learned that changed your direction.
• Build the narrative: Sharing your story “as you go” humanizes the innovation process, showing that the path to progress is one we walk together, with stops and starts, detours and backtracking.

3. Facilitate a Roundtable: Explore and Learn Together

If you have a complex question, a roundtable session invites others to join you in exploring and learning together.

• Spark conversation: Facilitate deep dives into the nuances of your innovation.
• Crowdsource the future: Use the collective brainpower of adolescent sexual and reproductive health experts to solve problems in real time.
• Foster peer exchange: Position your team as part of a larger ecosystem of changemakers, where every perspective is valued and essential for creating practical solutions.

4. Raise Your Voice: Advertising and Call to Action

You belong in the conversation, and that means making sure people know you’re there! In addition to exhibiting, we also have several advertising opportunities.

• Drive engagement: Use the conference app to promote your work and encourage folks to visit your exhibit or attend your breakout session.
• Call to action: Whether you’re looking for pilot sites, research partners, or simply more followers, the conference is the perfect place to make those connections.

5. Fuel Your Growth: Belonging as a Learner

And finally, when you come to #HealthyTeen26, you aren’t just a presenter—you are an active participant in a premier professional development experience.

• Expand your expertise: Attend incredible general and breakout sessions that can spark the next “Aha!” moment for your project.
• Find inspiration: Surrounding yourself with the latest research and field-tested strategies is the best way to spur further innovation.
• Connect and network: Beyond the formal sessions, you’ll make deep connections with attendees who share your passion and can become long-term collaborators.

Embrace “Share as We Go” and Step into the Spotlight

Let go of the stress of waiting for and building up to a “big reveal” and move toward a culture of transparency and shared growth. Innovation is iterative; by sharing your story before it’s “finished,” you aren’t just presenting—you’re contributing to a richer, more collaborative ecosystem of innovation where every stage of development belongs and we all belong.

Don’t wait for “perfect” to join the national conversation. Whether you are gathering feedback, sharing your lessons learned, or exploring new ideas, you’re sure to learn something new, be inspired, and make new connections. Your voice and your journey are essential to creating the future of adolescent health.

Join us for Made to Belong, October 5-7, 2026, in San Diego.

• The Call for Proposals is open now through May 7 for you to submit your roundtable or workshop proposal.
• Early bird registration opens next month—register early and save! Be sure you’re on our email list to get the latest updates.

Tree plantings, stream cleanups, and park renovations are classic, often-celebrated Earth Day wins. Less recognized, but just as true, is that investments like these are also wins for adolescent health—supporting young people’s movement, mood, connection, and belonging.

What would communities look like if we designed green spaces and civic infrastructure with adolescents in mind?

But not every good-for-the-environment improvement benefits adolescents equally. Some changes shape young people’s daily lives far more than others. This Earth Day, it may be worth asking: What would communities look like if we designed green spaces and civic infrastructure with adolescents in mind?

1. Parks and playgrounds would be higher, wilder, faster, and more challenging.

In the United States, playgrounds are often designed almost entirely for young children. Across the United States, too many parks repeat the same brightly painted, prefabricated, 12-foot jungle gyms. Rubber surfacing and mulch chips smooth away nearly every conceivable risk.

Despite the state of our collective playscape, play does not end at age ten. Older youth, too, need outdoor places to move, explore, test themselves, and take healthy risks.

That could mean taller structures, giant swings, ropes and ziplines, boulders to climb, stepping stones to cross, trails to roam, and wildlife to discover—spaces that feel exciting rather than overly cautious or childish. For children of all ages, it could also mean embracing the worldwide “adventure playground” concept, giving young people more chances for unrestricted play and creativity, with playworkers who remove hazards while preserving risk.

Every April, Black Maternal Health Week—observed from April 11–17—calls the nation to reflect and act in support of Black maternal health. Led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) and aligned with National Minority Health Month, this year’s observance marks a decade of advocacy, community building, and collective power. At its core, the week reminds us that advancing reproductive justice is not only about addressing disparities, but also about honoring the lived experiences of Black mamas and birthing people.

As conversations around reproductive health continue to shift, I find myself thinking deeply about young Black mothers—those most often overlooked by systems meant to support them yet profoundly impacted by the care they receive.

As conversations around reproductive health continue to shift, I find myself thinking deeply about young Black mothers—those most often overlooked by systems meant to support them yet profoundly impacted by the care they receive. Their journeys are shaped not just by access to services, but by whether they are seen, heard, and treated with dignity along the way.

In an organization like Healthy Teen Network, our team spans coasts, time zones, and departments, which can sometimes make it a bit more challenging. Each department has its own flow, as we all work together to achieve a common goal: supporting and empowering young people in their sexual and reproductive health. Naturally, there is variation in how we engage in this work, so what happens when you’re an omnivert in this space? What even is an omnivert, you may ask?

Being an Omnivert

An omnivert is defined as an individual who experiences extreme shifts between being highly introverted and highly extroverted, often driven by mood or situation.

An omnivert is defined as an individual who experiences extreme shifts between being highly introverted and highly extroverted, often driven by mood or situation. For me, outside of work, this looks like playing all the viral games at family get-togethers with enthusiasm and being totally burnt out afterward. It can also look like a full-blown kitchen concert for my son while I make dinner. There are a lot of ways I’m extroverted, but I find it’s mostly private.

Creating Social Spaces at Work

I have found that I am my most extroverted self when I feel safe to be that vulnerable. Being extroverted to me looks like putting down that “professional” hat we’re all asked to wear and inviting my colleagues into my day-to-day.  Most recently, this has looked like creating a community care space affectionately named “Working Women Wednesdays” with a close group of colleagues to just be and share the good and the not-so-good about anything and everything. In today’s world, I have found that no matter how social I’m feeling, these spaces are necessary and sustaining.

Finding Times to be “Off”

There are also so many instances, as an educator, that require you to be “on,” so opportunities to be “off” feel especially important, allowing you to reconnect with yourself as a human being outside of what you produce in a field you love. I intentionally create opportunities to get some fresh air and work away from my desk; sometimes that change in scenery is all I need for a quick reset. Other times, after a long workday, having dinner alone or taking myself on a movie date feels especially good.

Bringing Your Whole Self to Work

Being in and held by community as your whole self is possible in the workplace in small and big ways, even when it may be hard to imagine.

My reminder to you is that you are a whole person, holding your work deadlines and deliverables, and your literal or metaphorical laundry list of tasks outside of work simultaneously. Being in and held by community as your whole self is possible in the workplace in small and big ways, even when it may be hard to imagine. A well-timed meme or GIF is a whole love language of its own with the colleagues I now consider friends, and I’m grateful for the safe spaces they’ve helped me co-create.

Some of these suggestions might work well for you also…or perhaps they are a reminder that we all need to find what works best for each of us. And that building positive work environments for yourself and with your co-workers is a collaborative and ongoing process.

On Transgender Day of Visibility, visibility is often celebrated—but visibility without protection, without advocacy, and without action can leave trans people more exposed than supported.

If you want to protect trans young people, you must be willing to understand that history and actively work to do better.

For many LGBTQ+ and BIPOC young people, medical spaces are shaped by a long history of discrimination and harm, leading to real and justified mistrust. If you want to protect trans young people, you must be willing to understand that history and actively work to do better. Hint: The work doesn’t stop at knowing the right terminology or checking boxes on an intake form.

Affirming Care for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Young People

That’s where our affirming care elearnings come in. These modules offer a concrete way to move from awareness to action—deepening understanding of medical discrimination, exploring how mistrust is formed, and building the skills needed to provide inclusive, healing-centered, and affirming care.

Whenever I open Instagram, it feels like my entire feed is filled with content about the importance of community…from mutual aid requests to “everybody wants a village, so be a villager.”

When systems fail us, how can we support each other to thrive?

As I’ve been reading and hearing more about folks turning to one another for support, care, and resources, I’ve been thinking about how this drive for connection impacts sex ed. When systems fail us, how can we support each other to thrive? When schools, clinics, and other systems are not showing up for young people, especially for queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and people of color, what can we do to try to fill in those gaps?

Enter community-based sex education.

By ensuring caregivers, local leaders, and youth-supporting folks have access to medically accurate and understandable information, we’re meeting young people where they are. Bringing young people and their caregivers to learn together, having community conversations, and making your resources accessible is CRUCIAL always, but especially now. When schools, federally funded programs, and beyond are being told they cannot say “gender” or “sexuality” or even share medically accurate information, we need to turn to folks outside of the normal systems we may typically rely on.

Here are some examples of youth-supporting professionals across the nation who are showing up for their communities.

• Your Empowered Sexuality is a Philadelphia-based organization providing education not only to young people in schools, but also to teachers, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Beyond the “typical” sex education topics, they also do workshops on nutrition, body liberation, and anti-fatness.
• Talk More is doing incredible work to support caregivers in having shame-free conversations with their young people in the Atlanta area and beyond! They’re holding workshops in the community, but they also have AMAZING free resources on their website, like Parent Planners, categorized by age to prepare caregivers for age-appropriate conversations with their youth. Their Values Expressions Exercise and Conversation Generator provide guidance for a conversation that so many parents are afraid of!
• Healthy Native Youth holds virtual Community of Practice calls for folks supporting Native young people. By bringing folks together to focus on specific topics, they’re offering space for caring adults to problem-solve, commiserate, share wins, and find resources. They also have a text message service that gives caring adults tips on talking with young people about mental health!
• Other educators, like SexEdU, SxEdFiles, SexEdForGuys, and more are turning to social media to reach their communities! Young people (and really, anyone) may find themselves using TikTok as a search engine for health information, and it’s folks like these who are ensuring that there is medically accurate, understandable, and relatable information there for them.

While restrictions on federal funding and public education are rampant, community-based sex education can offer a different perspective that public education may not be able to. In an individualist society rooted in white supremacy, for some of us, the more organic, grassroots community approaches can feel like intimidating.

And yet, at the same time, since humans have been around, people have been building communities and relationships to stay connected, to be protected, and to resist systems of oppression. From neighborhoods to group chats to villages and beyond, a sense of belonging has provided people with purpose. Turning to our neighbors instead of relying on systems designed to oppress us helps us support young people and, in turn, makes us all better.

For a long time, being a perfectionist was something I chased. I couldn’t make any mistakes, couldn’t fail at anything I tried for the first time, couldn’t slip up in any way, or I’d risk losing some imaginary gold medal.

And it was exhausting.

Don’t get me wrong—I don’t think there’s a problem with having a close eye for detail and taking your time to make sure you’ve dotted all your Is and crossed every T. But I’ve learned that there are some nuances behind the idea of perfectionism that have me trying to recover from this impossible goal.

There is more than one right way to do something

There’s always more than one way to cook an egg. My ideal path to solving a problem or reaching a goal might not be the same as my friend’s or colleague’s—but that doesn’t mean either one of us is wrong. Perfectionism, however, doesn’t leave room for these other perspectives.

For example, as a writing major, my training was in standard American English. It has a specific grammar and conventions that, as an editor, I stringently abided by. But sometimes, particularly in first-person writing meant to capture and evoke the writer’s personality, the use of dialects like African American Vernacular English (AAVE), is the “right” English—even if its grammar and conventions might differ from those I was taught in school.

In my quest to begin decolonizing my own mind, I’m learning that perfectionism and the belief in one right way are two of the characteristics of white supremacy culture identified by writer Tema Okun. This discovery really got me thinking about how pursuing perfectionism wasn’t serving me or anyone else.

“Mistakes” are really just lessons

“Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet.” Those words from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables were a balm to my struggling perfectionist self. A new day, a fresh start, a chance to forget the mistakes you made in the past. But ignoring mistakes also casts aside the gifts that they are. Some of my greatest learning experiences have been borne out of something going wrong.

Mistakes, failures, and unexpected obstacles fuel innovation and growth.

Mistakes, failures, and unexpected obstacles fuel innovation and growth. A mistake can shed light on a previously unseen bias, a pain point that needs to be addressed, or an area of weakness to explore further. A mistake can even serve as a simple reminder: “Hey, remember last time you forgot to grab your keys and locked yourself out? Put them in your jacket pocket so you don’t do that again!”

Growth is a more realistic goal than perfection

Once, when I was agonizing over a small mistake, someone gave me the tough love I needed by asking, “Did you really think you were so perfect that you wouldn’t ever make a single mistake?” Well, when you put it like that, of course not!

Perfect is the apex, the often unattainable peak of progress. There’s no way to improve on perfect, and if there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that I’m always improving, learning, and growing. How can any of us hold ourselves to perfectionism when there is so much more waiting on the other side? Curiosity, open-mindedness, collaboration, resilience, creativity—the possibilities open up immensely if you allow yourself to let go of perfection as a goal.

We could all use some more self-compassion

When you identify as a perfectionist and then you inevitably mess up, it can lead to a lot of mental distress—I’m talking middle-of-the-night panics and plenty of negative self-talk. That’s not a good, helpful, or healthy way to go through life.

Whether we like it or not, making mistakes is part of what makes us human, and putting yourself or anyone else on the pedestal of perfection can set you up for a fall. Eschewing perfectionism allows us to be kinder to ourselves.

For now, I’m focusing on being perfectionish, rather than perfectionist, and I think that’s a good start.

I will proudly say that I identify as a nerd. I love learning new things, exploring topics I’ve never heard of before, and diving deep into the nuances of how things work. Because of my nerdiness, I love professional development trainings. Not only does it feed my thirst for knowledge, but it also allows me to share what I’ve learned with everyone around me, my peers, teachers, young people, and anyone who will listen.

Some people do not share the same kind of enthusiasm, and I can understand their perspective. Teachers, for example, are my primary audience for professional development training, and historically, they have a million other things on their plates. Adding on an hours-long professional development training can feel daunting.

Adding another thing to their never-ending to-do list can be stressful, which is why I believe it’s imperative that, as trainers, we make professional development as stress-free as possible.

I see teachers as real-life superheroes: They get up early for class, stand on their feet all day to teach, then work all night grading papers and prepping for after-school clubs. Adding another thing to their never-ending to-do list can be stressful, which is why I believe it’s imperative that, as trainers, we make professional development as stress-free as possible. Throughout my time training for U Choose, I have learned some strategies to ensure that teachers leave sessions feeling that the training was a good use of their time.

Create a comfortable environment

I have led professional development sessions in a variety of different settings: libraries, old school buildings, auditoriums, and new classrooms with high-tech smart boards. No matter where you end up, it’s important that you make the environment as inviting as possible. If the room is a little warm, try opening some windows to let in a fresh breeze. Turn on some lo-fi music, so when participants walk in, they’re welcomed with the relaxing sounds of chill beats. Greet them with a smile and make them feel seen and special because they are!

Embrace the fidget

Another thing I’ve realized is that when it comes to learning while moving, adults are just young people in bigger bodies. Adults, like our young people, LOVE fidget toys (my personal favorites are tangle puzzles and flip cubes). I enjoy placing a few different fidget toys on their desks and watching them relax as they listen to my presentation. It’s a simple but effective tool for focus and relaxation.

Let them decorate

Another fun tip is to treat the training like the first day of school. On that day, every student gets a name tag and desk tent to personalize, and adults love that, too! Participants really get into decorating their desk tents with their names and doodle fun designs that represent their personalities. Giving them ownership over their space creates a sense of belonging and opens the door for introductions and conversations.

Encourage them to “be the expert”

Sure, the trainer is technically the “expert” in the material, but there is a wealth of knowledge in the room that others (including you!) can benefit from. Of course, the trainer may know the answer, but it’s powerful to turn questions back to the participants and ask what they know about a topic, or whether they’ve dealt with a situation mentioned in the training.

One of my favorite practices during training is establishing group agreements, which are a set of guidelines everyone agrees to follow to ensure the space is safe, respectful, and focused on learning. One of the agreements I always like to include is maintaining a “learning mindset” and leading with grace, curiosity, and patience. I always follow up by reiterating that even though I may be leading the training, I do not have all the answers. I’m always eager to learn from participants and hear about their experiences. This approach also creates a pathway for them to lean on each other. They ask each other questions, get advice, and often exchange contact information, so they have someone to turn to for support. It’s a great way for participants to build camaraderie within the learning environment.

Involve them in the training

Trainings can range from a couple hours to a full day, which means there is often a lot of information to absorb. While there will be times when you need to share a significant amount of content, it’s important to lean away from talking at them and instead involve them in the learning process.

Remember how I said that adults are just like big kids? It’s the same thing here! They want to talk, move around, and have fun. Build time in the training for participants to get out of their seats and engage with others. Put them in small groups, have them act out a scene, or hand them a mic to present a big idea to the larger group. Encourage them to call out answers if you ask them a question. The more they move and interact, the more energy flows throughout the room. Create fun, engaging activities that stimulate their minds and make learning enjoyable.

Ultimately, professional development can be fun, and it’s our job as trainers to make it that way.