Healthy Respect employs a youth development and education model that focuses on identifying and building on individual, family, school and community assets. Youth development is the process through which adolescents acquire the cognitive, social and emotional skills and abilities required to navigate life. "Youth Development addresses the common and interconnected causes of many high risk behaviors - the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD), emotional problems, intentional injury, school failure and dropout, crime, HIV/AIDS, and pregnancy – by capitalizing on opportunities at the family, school and community levels to prevent their occurrence. Youth Development can be summarized by caring/compassion, competence, character, connection and confidence." Our curriculum helps students achieve three of the primitive needs: safety, love/belonging and esteem.

The Healthy Respect philosophy is based on the belief that the youth of America are bright young people who deserve to be treated as such. The program allows students the opportunity to explore and acquire sustainable healthy attitudes and behaviors. Through a positive progressive interactive teaching style, we strive to instill in our students a vision of hope for the future.

John P. Margand, Esq. is the Chief Executive Officer of Program Reach and the Healthy Respect Program. He is a graduate of Marquette University and received his Masters from the University of London. He is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and practiced as a litigator for 10 years in the health field.

In 2000, he joined Program Reach as Executive Director. In 2003 he launched the pilot phase of the Healthy Respect Abstinence Education Program for grades 7-11. In 2006, the intensive classroom component of the program was augmented to include after school programs, parent workshops and medical symposia. In 2007 the program was expanded to include programming for grades4-6.

Dr. Nanci Coppola received her undergraduate training in biology and psychology at the University of Rochester. She received a Doctorate in Podiatric Medicine from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine and a Masters degree in Health Administration and Wellness Education from the California College of Health Sciences.

Dr. Coppola has twenty-six years of experience in the fields of education and medicine.
She has served as Healthy Respect’s Director of Curriculum since 2005.