Terry Thoren spent decades producing legendary content like The Rugrats, The Simpsons, and The Wild Thornberrys. Now, as CEO of Wonder Media, he is using his expertise to tackle the youth mental health crisis.

In this episode, Anne Brown (Cook Center for Human Connection) and Terry discuss the creation of My Life is Worth Living, the first animated series designed specifically to support teen mental health and suicide prevention. Terry explains the rigorous process of working with psychologists to "model the language" for kids who feel they don't have a voice.

Key Highlights:

• Bridging the Gap: How animation creates a safe space for kids to see themselves and seek help.

• Character Studies: Lessons learned from Emily’s recovery, Dante’s search for identity, and Kyle’s struggle with cyberbullying.

• Parental Support: How My Life is Worth Living models conversations for parents to know how to have difficult conversations with their children.

• A 50-Year Career: Terry reflects on his journey from teaching his first animation class in 1975 to reaching billions of children today.

Listen in to discover how to use these free resources in your school or home. Visit MyLifeIsWorthLiving.org to watch the series.