Raising a teenager has always come with its share of worry. Today’s version comes with a screen attached. Between group chats, constant comparison on social media, and the pressure to keep up, many young people are carrying more than we can see.
That’s why we’re proud to spotlight Free to Be, a Santa Rosa nonprofit that has spent more than three decades helping Sonoma County kids grow into confident, grounded young adults. SOMO is a sponsor of their annual fundraiser this November, and we sat down with Executive Director Leslie Bisbee Jordan to learn more about the work they do for teens and for the parents who love them.
Sue Bisbee founded Free to Be in 1989, and for more than 35 years it has been part of Sonoma County classrooms. In that time, the team has reached more than 100,000 local students.
Today the organization is led by Sue’s daughter, Leslie Bisbee Jordan, who took the helm in 2022. A mother of three herself, Leslie is carrying forward a mission her mother started. Under her leadership, Free to Be has taken a hard look at what kids actually need right now, and changed to meet it.
As Leslie shared in a Press Democrat feature, “It’s personal. I’m worried. I want the youth to feel like the community has them, that we’ll be the safety net for them.”
The challenges facing young people have shifted, and Free to Be has shifted with them. In 2023 the organization relaunched with a refreshed mission and a new focus on youth mental health, emotional resilience, and healthy decision-making.
“I like to say when she started it, the risks of teens were a little more external,” Leslie says. “It was drinking and driving and teen pregnancies and things like that. Now it’s kind of become internal, it’s anxiety and depression, so we focus on a lot of the emotional health, internal things for the kids.”
Program Director Jenean Thom has watched that shift from the front of the classroom. “When I started… maybe five students in fifth, sixth grade had cellphones,” she said. “Today maybe five don’t.”
That includes the world in their pockets. Free to Be’s programs now talk openly about social media and smartphones: how to handle online bullying, how to tell what’s real from what’s fake, and why it’s okay to take a break from the screen.
The need is real here at home. In the 2023–2024 Sonoma County YouthTruth Survey, more than 60% of local middle and high school students said anxiety, stress, or depression got in the way of their learning. Free to Be’s goal is to step in early, before a hard season becomes a crisis, so teens can “feel grounded in who they are, online and off.”
In the classroom. Free to Be’s My Life curriculum is built around four focus areas that spell HELP: Healthy relationships, Emotional health and support, Life online, and Positive choices. Students take four 50-minute workshops during the school day: The Way I Feel About Me, The Way I Feel About Others, The Way I Treat Others, and The Way I Live My Life. Along the way they practice positive self-talk, conflict resolution, handling peer pressure and safe online habits. Free to Be’s educators lead every session, so teachers don’t have to learn a new curriculum.
Teens teaching teens. Through the Teen Innovators program, trained high school volunteers visit 5th and 6th grade classrooms and share their own stories about friendship, bullying, and getting through hard times. Younger kids hear it from someone who’s just a few years ahead of them, and the high schoolers grow too, with training in Teen Mental Health First Aid, public speaking, and mentorship.
“It’s a very nice peer-to-peer program where the younger kids are really listening,” Leslie says. “It’s a special moment when that happens, when you see them light up and something clicks.”
Support for parents. Free to Be also hosts Parent Resource Events, where parents and caregivers can learn practical tools, ask real questions, and connect with others navigating the same stage of life. Since the pandemic, a big focus for both kids and parents has been building healthy coping skills.
Last school year alone, Free to Be reached 2,560 students in 79 classrooms across 16 local schools. More than half of those schools were Title I schools, which serve families with fewer resources.
After the workshops, 90% of students say they feel better prepared to stand up to peer pressure. As one freshman put it: “It made me really think about how much my confidence is valued and I should not allow people to take that from me.”
Free to Be sends families home with simple ways to keep the conversation going. A few favorites from their parent materials:
And if something ever concerns you, Free to Be encourages parents to reach out anytime.
November is a great time to get to know Free to Be.
You can also learn more, donate, or bring Free to Be to your child’s school at freetobeteens.org.
When kids feel confident in who they are, they make better choices for themselves and for each other. We’re grateful to have organizations like Free to Be working alongside Sonoma County families.