Youth Development: Mental Health and Substance Misuse Prevention

The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado is proud to present Mr. Corey Manning for a session on Youth Development!

This session will focus on youth empowerment, substance misuse, and mental health. Youth are facing unprecedented pressures from the world today, and those of us who care for, teach, and love them have seen some of the lasting effects. This session is designed to help us realign how we are talking to youth about these pressures from a place of interfaith values, mutual care, and resiliency. Light refreshments will be provided.

Corey Manning is an educator and advocate who specializes in youth development and substance abuse prevention. With several years of experience performing stand-up comedy, Mr. Manning skillfully blends humor, lived experience, and faith to spark real conversations and lasting change. As a 30-year survivor of addiction and a prostate cancer warrior, Mr. Manning brings a unique voice to substance misuse prevention— one rooted in resilience, redemption, and the power of community.

By day, Mr. Manning serves as the Executive Director of the flagship Boys & Girls Club of Boston - Yawkey Club of Roxbury, where he leads youth development programming with heart, humor, and hope. By night, he is a nationally touring stand-up comedian whose work has been featured on Dry Bar Comedy, NBC’s Family Feud, and on stages like the legendary Apollo Theater.

Through his company, ONE SMILE LLC, he created Puff, Puff, Pass the FACTS—an innovative, interactive workshop series that blends personal storytelling, prevention education, and community dialogue. His approach is faith-informed, culturally competent, and designed to meet people where they are—whether in a church basement, a school auditorium, or a recovery circle.

Mr. Manning is partnering with the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado to bring this work to faith communities across the state, empowering leaders from over two dozen traditions to engage in honest conversations about substance misuse, faith, healing, and support. His work is a living testimony that laughter, when guided by love and truth, can be a vehicle for transformation. He is saving the world one smile at a time.

Interfaith Alliance of Colorado is a nonprofit public policy and advocacy organization with over 400 congregations in our statewide network, representing over two dozen faith traditions. We promote justice, religious liberty, and interfaith understanding by building relationships in order to educate, advocate, and catalyze positive social change. We aim to protect democracy, protect religious freedom, and protect vulnerable communities. Learn more at our website.

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