Sumter County

Our partnership with the Sumter School District began in 1998, with a collaborative goal of reducing teen pregnancies through positive youth development programing. The initial program, funded by Workforce Central Florida was ENABL (Education Now and Babies Later.) ENABL was approved by the Florida Department of Education because it was consistent with district and Sunshine State Health Education Standards FS 1003.46.

The program was successful, well received by students, parents and school staff. It was soon expanded to include those activities deemed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as putting students at risk, primarily drugs, alcohol, sexual activity, violence and tobacco. Since 2015 we have served nearly 6,000 middle and high school students in Sumter.

Our prevention efforts in Sumter were recognized by the Community Coalition Alliance who, in 2014, requested we establish a Drug Free Community Coalition to provide leadership for community level collaboration aimed at reducing substance abuse in Sumter County (Sumter CAP).

Our Sumter County Equipping Youth program is an interactive program specifically designed to educate preteens and teens on how avoiding risky behaviors can lead to more fulfilling and successful lives. We currently reach over a thousand students per year. Not only do we want Sumter students to come out of the Equipping Youth Program with a greater understanding of how drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sexual activity, and intimate partner violence can negatively impact their lives, we want them to understand they have value, their lives matter, and they can achieve great things if they focus on making healthy decisions while they are still young.

E3 seeks to create strong bonds between parents and their teens. We offer various programs and workshops designed to help parents gain a better understanding of the way their teens think and how to maintain open communication with them as they grow into young adults. We also offer classes catered towards parents who are separated so they can learn to effectively communicate without putting additional stress on the child. We want to help parents feel empowered and ready to guide their teens towards choosing a healthy lifestyle.

We have been in Sumter County for over a decade. In that time, we have been able to inform and educate community officials and organizations on the importance of reducing risky behaviors among teens. This process led to the formation of Sumter CAP, a drug-free coalition that is supported by multiple community organizations. This coalition has grown exponentially since its inception and it impacts both teens and parents alike by teaching them how they can “put a CAP on Substance Abuse.”

Sumter County

Partnership Opportunities