Love’s Travel Stops has pledged groundbreaking support for youth mental health as the presenting sponsor of Heroes In Waiting’s new anti-bullying and peace-building curriculum designed specifically with high school students in mind. This culture-changing programming is currently in development and, thanks to a $25,000 grant from Love’s, will be launched in schools and youth organizations later this year, for free.
“Love’s continues to demonstrate over and over their commitment to show up for kids,” says Heroes In Waiting executive director Jim Stewart. In 2023, Love’s underwrote the purchase of A/V equipment critical to delivering Heroes In Waiting live assembly programming, which has impacted more than 8,000 Oklahoma students in 24 schools so far. This year, he says, “The opportunity they’re providing to retool our middle school curriculum for older students will literally be life-saving, a game-changer.”
Tammy Jensen, Heroes In Waiting education coordinator, couldn’t agree more. “As we have taken our anti-bullying message into schools and spoken with educators over the last 18 months, we’ve identified a strong need for a version of the curriculum that is suitable for more mature students,” she explains. “With more complex social structures and 24/7 access to social media, we realize older kids face unique mental wellness challenges, and we need to be able to meet them where they are.”
Tammy says the broad goals of this discussion-based, community-building curriculum for rising 9th-12th graders include increased levels of hope and resilience for students, and increased confidence in their ability to lead and influence change in their habits and culture in order to build the kind of world they want to live in.
The $25,000 grant from Love’s will help underwrite the ongoing research, development, production, and delivery of this 12-week program, and will ensure that it is offered FREE to any student who needs it.
“From our inception, we have been determined to break down any barriers to access for our culture-changing curriculum for kids, including financial barriers,” says Jim. “Today, Love’s generosity is helping us keep that promise.”