Core Values

The following five core values collectively shape Health Connected’s mission to empower and support young people in navigating their sexual health and relationships with knowledge, respect, and inclusivity.

Agency

We empower young people to make the decisions that are right for them about their health, bodies, and relationships free of shame, judgment, or pressure.

Justice

We have an obligation to work towards collective liberation by dismantling the institutional barriers that impede young people’s agency, particularly for those who have been disproportionately impacted by systemic oppression.

Connection

We promote the wellbeing of youth by strengthening their relationships with trusted adults, healthcare providers, peers, and partners; we build bridges in communities to foster connectedness.

Excellence

We deliver ever-evolving, outcome-driven, research-informed education and personalized service to meet the needs of youth in the context of our constantly changing world.

Zest*

We spark meaningful learning about complicated sexual health topics through dynamic, inquisitive, and courageous student engagement.

*After we developed our core values, it was brought to our attention by education professionals seeking to build more culturally-responsive education environments that the term “zest” can marginalize students who contend with intergenerational trauma and institutionalized racism. We are using this term as a representation of Health Connected’s fun and exuberant approach in all of our programs, not as an expectation of the young people we engage with.