The Benji Project is operating as our own independent non-profit organization. Read the article in The Leader here.
How Self-Compassion Can Improve Teen Mental Health - Mindful Magazine June 2023
Research has demonstrated that cultivating self-compassion—learning how to be kind and supportive to oneself—can act as a shield for teenagers against the negative impacts of social media, trauma, depression, and various other challenges. While self-compassion is not a magical solution, it can help alleviate some of the difficulties that adolescents encounter on a daily basis.
Keep reading this article by Dr. Karen Bluth for all the details, links and research:
https://www.mindful.org/how-self-compassion-can-improve-teen-mental-health/
Mental health needs of youth addressed through The Benji Project
We are grateful for this article in the Good Works special section of The Leader on November 16, 2022. The article talks about our namesake Benji Kenworthy, the roots of our organization, our work today, and how it has changed over the past 5 years. It’s rewarding to see our story and hard work featured in the local newspaper. We hope the story inspires more teens and local families to take advantage of the programs we offer.
Fall 2022 Newsletter
Download our fall newsletter for news about our first LGBTQ+ summer camp program, our mindful parenting circle, the opening of our new office and Sips of the Season.
Spring 2022 Newsletter
Download our spring newsletter for news about an organizational milestone reached, our summer camp program, and an exciting pilot for teens at Port Townsend’s OCEAN K-12 school.
Brinnon 4-H Program Leads with Heart
In January and early February, The Benji Project worked with Brinnon’s 4-H After School Program to provide leadership training based in mindfulness and self-compassion. The middle school participants learned ways to manage stress and practice compassion for themselves and others and saw the value of those skills for leadership. Thank you to everyone with “The Brinnon Tryers” who helped make this happen! Check out page 1 of the 4-H newsletter below for further reflection on the program.
PTHS Grads Share Insights From Life After High School
On January 5th, The Benji Project hosted an online panel of four recent Port Townsend High School graduates who spoke with current PTHS students and teachers about life after high school.
While talking openly about their personal experiences with college, a gap period before college, or friends who joined the workforce after high school, shared insights emerged about how to take care of your mental health during this major transition:
Embrace that you can change your mind and have a non-linear path. Many of us will want to adjust the expectations we place on ourselves or receive from others as we engage in new environments, gain a more realistic picture of what’s possible, and explore new interests.
Do what you want to be doing, and be with people who support you. Even before you graduate from high school, get into the habit of being more selective with your time and energy.
You don’t have to leave this area to keep learning and growing. There are many people in this community who want to help you reach your goals or try new things. Reach out.
Prioritize your mental and physical health. This includes making sure you know where to find support before you or a friend have an urgent need.
A big thank you to our wonderful graduate panelists - Mel Bakin, Callay Boire-Shedd, Sorina Johnston, and Finn O’Donnell - and PTHS students and staff for joining The Benji Project’s Heather McRae-Woolf for the open-hearted discussion.
Youth Mental Health Advisory
U.S. teens are in a mental health crisis. That's the news from the U.S. Surgeon General in a public health advisory published in December 2021. The call to action notes alarming increases in the prevalence of certain mental health challenges over the last 10+ years. And then came the pandemic.
“The pandemic era’s unfathomable number of deaths, pervasive sense of fear, economic instability, and forced physical distancing from loved ones, friends, and communities have exacerbated the unprecedented stresses young people already faced,” the report states.
The news itself is depressing, but the publication also offers clear recommendations for individual and institutional actions that support the mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults. We thank our supporters for helping The Benji Project be part of the solution. Click here to read the advisory.
