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Teen HEART stops beating, but spirit stays
Kalamazoo, Michigan – Today, as I packed up the last box at the Teen HEART office, I was reminded of the headline above that appeared in a recent Kalamazoo Gazette newspaper article written by Dave Person.
Fifteen years ago, I had a dream to create an organization with the focus of high school teens teaching younger teens the importance of living healthy lives.
Teen HEART began with one person’s dream, one school, one dozen students and one hospital that believed in that dream.
During these fifteen years, 842 high school Teen HEART student leaders volunteered their time to train and teach younger teens and their peers the importance of abstaining from alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and premature sexual activity. It’s exciting to know that over 40,000 middle and high school students have benefited from hearing the message of Teen HEART.
What unfolded over the years has been nothing short of amazing. I always told the student leaders during training each summer that they were the lifeblood of Teen HEART and that their participation was vital to the success of this organization. Watching these student leaders reach out and touch lives and have their lives changed as well has been a very, very cool thing.
I am grateful to those 842 high school students who gave of their time, to the parents who supported their student, to the school administrators who opened their doors, to the teachers who opened their classrooms, to the community foundations and organizations that provided financial support, to the individuals and private donors who shared the vision of Teen HEART and to my family who was with me on every step of this journey. Each and every one of you has been amazing, and lives have been changed because of you.
During the past two or three years the organization has experienced increasingly significant challenges with student leadership team development, public school funding, cultural relevance and financial sustainability. After careful consideration the Teen HEART board of directors voted unanimously to legally dissolve the organization.
The need is still great and the message is timeless. It is my hope everyone that has supported and/or participated in the program will “pay it forward”---keeping the message alive for years to come…that they will take what they have learned and continue to educate, equip and empower young teens to live healthy lives.
Yours sincerely,
Kathryn G. Royle, MA, LPC
Founder & Executive Director of Teen HEART
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