Young people are navigating a world that is constantly changing. They face pressures related to school, relationships, mental health, substance use, social media, and planning for the future. At the same time, organizations and schools are working to create environments where young people feel connected, supported, and prepared to thrive. These are community challenges that require community solutions.
No single organization can meet every need on its own, but partnerships can bring complementary strengths, knowledge, and resources together. When nonprofits collaborate around a shared vision, they can learn from one another and expand opportunities for the people and communities they serve.
For more than a decade, Wyman and PreventEd have worked together around a shared commitment: helping young people build the skills, relationships, and support systems they need to thrive. Today, that partnership continues through evidence-based programming, evaluation support, professional development, and resource sharing—all focused on strengthening the systems that support young people.
Two Organizations, One Shared Commitment
Wyman’s mission is to connect teens to their voices, their strengths, and their futures through proven programs and supports. Its three programs—Wyman Leaders, Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®), and Teen Connection Project® (TCP®)—help young people develop life and leadership skills, build healthy relationships, and prepare for their futures.
Wyman supports more than 1,100 young people each year through direct programs in the St. Louis area. Through partnerships with schools and youth-serving organizations in Missouri and across the country, Wyman’s reach extends to more than 25,000 young people annually.
PreventEd works to reduce or prevent the harms of alcohol and other drug use through education, intervention, and advocacy. Its research-based prevention programs and school curricula help build resilience and leadership skills while influencing students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to substance use and misuse.
PreventEd also provides Peer Support Services in Franklin, Lincoln, and Jefferson counties and in St. Louis City and County. These services are delivered by Peer Support Specialists with lived experience who are in sustained recovery. As a Prevention Resource Center, PreventEd also provides training and technical guidance to community coalitions focused on drug and alcohol prevention. The organization works with 25 community coalitions to strengthen local prevention efforts through proven strategies and evidence-based practices.
A Partnership Built on Shared Values
Wyman and PreventEd know that young people thrive when they have strong relationships, meaningful opportunities, and access to supportive environments. Both organizations are committed to listening, learning, and adapting to teens’ needs—and to strengthening protective factors that help young people navigate challenges and build healthy futures.
The organizations are also proud partner agencies of United Way of Greater St. Louis. As part of the community’s social safety net, Wyman and PreventEd work alongside other partners to strengthen the systems that support young people and help communities respond to complex needs.
Partnership in Action: Building Connection Through Teen Connection Project®
One example of this collaboration is PreventEd’s planned implementation of Wyman’s Teen Connection Project (TCP) as part of its prevention efforts in Warren County, Missouri.
TCP is a nationally recognized, evidence-based program designed to strengthen belonging, peer connection, and well-being among high school-aged teens. Through interactive lessons led by trained facilitators, participants explore communication, trust, vulnerability, giving and receiving support, and their personal strengths. These experiences create opportunities for young people to build meaningful relationships with peers and supportive adults. Feeling connected can help teens seek support, participate positively in their schools and communities, and build resilience as they navigate difficult situations.
TCP aligns with PreventEd’s prevention-focused approach, which builds resilience and strengthens protective factors before problems occur. Through funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Partnership for Success initiative, PreventEd is expanding prevention efforts in Warren County. The initiative uses a comprehensive approach involving young people and adults, with the goals of reducing youth substance use and delaying the initiation of alcohol use among young people. School-based programming will be offered to more than 4,500 elementary, middle, and high school students across more than 11 schools in Warren County.
As part of this SAMHSA-funded initiative, PreventEd has joined as a TCP partner and plans to implement the program through 2030 in school or community settings in Warren County. Wyman has already trained facilitators and will continue to provide supplemental training, technical assistance, and ongoing guidance. This support helps facilitators deliver TCP as intended while responding to local needs—and helps build local capacity for sustainable, high-quality programming over time.
Learning Together Through Evaluation
A strong partnership is also a learning partnership. Wyman and PreventEd share the belief that evaluating outcomes is essential to understanding what is working, meeting accountability expectations, and identifying opportunities to improve services.
As part of the SAMHSA initiative, Wyman is providing evaluation consultation to support PreventEd’s efforts to evaluate the Warren County project and report relevant outcome data to SAMHSA. The organizations recently developed a written evaluation plan to guide this work and will collaborate on putting it into practice. The plan aligns with the project’s broader goals: expanding school-based prevention; strengthening early intervention; and building community coalition capacity to reduce youth substance use.
A shared approach to evaluation can help the organizations make sense of the project’s progress, communicate meaningful outcomes, and use what they learn to inform decisions. The insights may support continued improvement in Warren County while also contributing to broader youth development and prevention strategies across the region.
Beyond Programs: Building Staff Capacity and Youth Leadership
The partnership extends beyond TCP and evaluation. PreventEd has also strengthened Wyman staff capacity through Youth Mental Health First Aid training. The training helps adults recognize, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges, substance use concerns, or crises among adolescents. Participants gain practical tools for offering initial support and connecting young people with appropriate resources. For youth development professionals, that knowledge can strengthen the network of caring adults around teens and help them respond with greater confidence.
Another long-standing connection is Teen Institute, PreventEd’s annual youth leadership program. Launched in 1980, Teen Institute is a four-day, three-night immersive experience that equips high school students to prevent substance misuse among their peers and communities while building leadership skills. Each year, approximately 80 to 100 high school leaders come together to learn prevention strategies, develop their leadership, and build relationships with peers who share a desire to create positive change.
Wyman proudly hosts Teen Institute at Camp Wyman. The setting offers a safe, welcoming environment designed with young people in mind, giving participants space to learn, grow as leaders, and build connections with peers from diverse backgrounds. This program reflects both organizations’ commitment to creating spaces where young people feel seen, respected, and supported.
What Makes This Partnership Work
The strength of the Wyman–PreventEd partnership comes from more than shared activities. It is grounded in trust, mutual respect, complementary expertise, and a willingness to learn and adapt. Wyman brings experience in evidence-based youth development programming and evaluation consultation; PreventEd brings expertise in substance use prevention, intervention, and community coalition support. Each organization contributes distinct strengths while staying focused on the same goal: helping young people thrive.
That shared commitment also calls for a long-term view. Training, technical assistance, evaluation, and the exchange of ideas help the organizations strengthen their work overtime—not just deliver individual programs. By staying connected and learning together, Wyman and PreventEd can respond more effectively to community needs and support lasting impact.
The Power of United Impact
The partnership between Wyman and PreventEd shows what is possible when organizations combine expertise, resources, and a shared commitment to young people. The organizations are strengthening the systems and relationships that help young people build meaningful connections and thrive.
As proud partners of United Way of Greater St. Louis, Wyman and PreventEd are part of a broader community effort to support young people and the people who care for them. No organization can do this work alone. When organizations collaborate, learn from one another, and invest in young people over time, communities are better equipped to meet challenges—and young people have more opportunities to thrive.
Want to hear more from both organizations? Check out this episode of the PrevenTable podcast that features Jenny Armbruster, Executive Director at PreventEd, in conversation with Allison Williams, CEO at Wyman.