46
new HIV diagnoses among Arkansans ages 15 to 24 in 2022, or 11.1 per 100,000. Another 212 Arkansans in this age group were living with HIV, or 51.1 per 100,000.
Arkansas Department of Health, 2022 HIV Surveillance Report
World AIDS Day • December 1, 2026
Teen Summit:
The Pinky Promise
Healthy relationships start with a promise to yourself.
A joyful, practical day for high school students to strengthen communication, boundaries, mental wellness, and decision-making. Students close the day with a shared Pinky Promise commitment.
Tuesday, December 110:00 AM to 2:00 PMCALS Main Library, 100 Rock Street, Little Rock, AR 72201Main room: Fred Darragh Center for Intellectual Freedom
Funded in part by an Arkansas Minority Health Commission Mini-Grant.
Hosted by VPH Training Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. EIN 93-1701910.
TEEN REGISTRATION PORTAL
Register For The Summit.
Free for high school students, grades 9 through 12. Who is signing up?
WHY NOW
World AIDS Day, With Hope At The Center.
World AIDS Day creates space for honest conversations. The Pinky Promise leads with healthy relationships, not fear. Students practice how to communicate, set boundaries, care for their mental health, and make informed choices before patterns are set.
The experience blends Relationship Smarts PLUS 5.1 from The Dibble Institute, Mind Matters 2.0, and Money Habitudes for Teens. Optional, confidential health screenings include blood pressure, cholesterol, and BMI.
WHO IT’S FOR
Built For The High School Years.
The summit welcomes high school students from every kind of school across Central Arkansas: public, private, charter, and homeschool. Healthy relationship skills matter in every year of high school, not just the first one. Arkansas’s own Dating Violence Awareness mandate applies to grades 7 through 12, and the Health and Safety standards this curriculum maps to cover grades 9 through 12.
Relationship Skills
Communication, consent, boundaries, and respect.
Mind Matters
Tools for stress, resilience, and mental wellness.
Money Habitudes
A clearer look at choices, values, and financial habits.
STANDARDS ALIGNED
Mapped To Arkansas Learning Standards.
Every summit session maps to the Arkansas Department of Education Health and Safety Standards for grades 9 through 12. Arkansas law (A.C.A. § 6-16-1004) also requires Dating Violence Awareness instruction at this grade band, and the summit covers it directly. The curriculum is additionally mapped by The Dibble Institute to the National Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Standard 13 (Interpersonal Relationships).
Healthy Skills and Relationships
Students analyze behaviors and attitudes that contribute to healthy relationships, identify healthy sexual behavior, and describe the signs of dating violence and abuse. Covered in Sessions 1 and 2.
Human Growth and Development
Students discuss physical and emotional changes during adolescence and examine available health resources. Covered in Session 3 and the health screening stations.
Disease Prevention and Control
Students compare methods of disease transmission and prevention, including STDs and other communicable diseases. Covered in Session 3 and the screening rotation.
Mental and Emotional Health
Students recognize how mental health contributes to overall health and practice skills that promote it. Covered in Session 4.
Personal Health and Safety
Students identify behaviors associated with abuse and the resources for avoiding and reporting them. Covered in Session 2.
Learning Continues At Home
Each student keeps the full Relationship Smarts PLUS 5.1 workbook and a Pinky Promise Passport, so lessons not covered live continue with family support.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Healthy Relationships Are Prevention.
19%
People ages 13 to 24 account for about 1 in 5 new U.S. HIV diagnoses.
NIH HIVinfo, citing CDC, 2022
51%
The South accounts for 51% of all new U.S. HIV diagnoses despite holding about a third of the population.
CDC, 2026 update
THE PINKY PROMISE
One Promise, Said Together.
At the closing Commitment Ceremony, every student stands and recites this pledge together, then signs their name inside their Pinky Promise Passport. It is the moment the whole day builds toward.
I am committed to igniting hope, inspiring possibilities, and instilling confidence for a promising future.
I believe in the power of dreams and the strength of community.
I will honor healthy relationships through how I speak, how I listen, and how I love.
Whether big or small, I promise to make a difference in shaping a world where hope shines brightly, possibilities are endless, and confidence leads the way.
Today and every day, I make this Pinky Promise.
Pinky Promise.
Ignite Hope. Inspire Possibilities. Instill Confidence.
FOR ORGANIZATIONS
Partner With The Summit.
Businesses and community groups can sponsor the day or host a free resource table. Choose one to see the details.
VOLUNTEER AT THE SUMMIT
Help The Day Run Smooth.
We need volunteers for setup and welcome, registration and check-in, session and health screening support, and breakdown and send-off on Tuesday, December 1, 2026 at CALS Main Library, 100 Rock Street, Little Rock, AR 72201, in the Fred Darragh Center for Intellectual Freedom. No clinical duties, just a willingness to show up for students.
Questions, Answered.
A free, one-day healthy-relationships experience where high school students build skills for communication, consent, boundaries, mental wellness, and smart financial choices. Students close the day with a Pinky Promise commitment ritual.
World AIDS Day gives us a timely moment to connect healthy relationships, honest communication, and informed choices. HIV awareness is part of the day, but fear is not the message.
High school students in grades 9 through 12 across Central Arkansas, from public, private, charter, and homeschool settings. The event brings together about 100 high school students.
A refillable water bottle and any event instructions shared with your family before December 1. Lunch and program materials are provided.
No. Teen Summit is free for participating students.
Families and schools arrange their own transportation. Village Public Health does not provide or cover student transportation.
Healthy relationships, communication, consent and boundaries, mental health skills, HIV and STI awareness, and financial decision-making.
Yes. Optional, confidential screenings include blood pressure, cholesterol, and BMI. Participation in screenings is not required.
Choose a sponsorship on this page and pay online by card, or request an invoice so our team can follow up.
There is no cost to vend. Choose "Host A Resource Table" in the Partner With The Summit section of this page and reserve by Friday, November 13. Table, seating, and event signage are provided.
Yes. Teen Summit is hosted by VPH Training Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 93-1701910). Sponsorships and donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and a receipt is provided.
Only with permission. Families choose yes or no on the registration form.
Yes. Choose "I'm A Student" in the registration section. We email your parent or guardian a link to give permission, and your spot is saved once they approve.
Yes. The day includes age-appropriate HIV and STI prevention education, so a parent or guardian must give permission. When a teen signs up, we email the parent or guardian to approve.
Contact Dr. Quinyatta Mumford at quinyatta@villagepublichealth.org or 501-229-9220.
Igniting CommUnity.
Let’s Make The Promise Together.
Dr. Quinyatta Mumford • quinyatta@villagepublichealth.org • 501-229-9220