The SIEL Project
The Social Skills Every Young Person Needs — and Most Were Never Taught
The SIEL Project is a nonprofit bringing real, practical social skills training to young people from middle school through young adulthood — the skills that shape friendships, careers, and mental health for life.
About Us
Why This Work Matters
We are living through a loneliness epidemic. Rates of social anxiety, isolation, and depression among young people have reached historic highs — and most schools aren't equipped to address the root cause: young people simply don't know how to connect with each other.
Social skills are not a personality trait. They are learned behaviors — and they can be taught. The SIEL Project exists to teach them.
Founded by social skills coach John Bush, who has spent nearly a decade and over 10,000 hours helping people overcome shyness, social anxiety, and isolation, The SIEL Project brings that same proven, real-world training to young people through free and low-cost workshops, community events, school programs, and online resources.
We believe every young person deserves the chance to walk into a room with confidence, make genuine connections, and build a life they're proud of. Your support makes that possible.
What We Do
SIEL stands for Social Intelligence and Emotional Literacy
We teach young people — from middle schoolers to young adults — the real-world social skills that schools don't teach: how to start and hold conversations, how to build genuine friendships, how to handle conflict, how to overcome shyness and social anxiety, and how to show up confidently in any social situation.
Workshops & Seminars
Hands-on, interactive sessions where young people practice real social skills with guidance from an experienced coach — not just theory, but actual skills they can use the same day.
School & College Programs
We bring our programs directly to high schools and colleges, reaching students where they are. Our goal is to serve every student — regardless of their family's ability to pay.
Community Events & Outreach
Open events where young people, parents, and educators come together to learn and practice the skills of connection. We partner with libraries, community centers, and schools to reach as many people as possible.
Meet the Founder
John Bush knows what it's like to struggle socially. He lived it. And then he spent over a decade — and over 10,000 hours of real-world coaching — figuring out how to change that.
As a professional social skills coach, John has helped hundreds of people transform their confidence, their relationships, and their lives. But private coaching isn't accessible to most young people. The SIEL Project exists to change that — bringing the same methods that have worked for John's clients to teenagers and young adults who need it most.
John holds a degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and hosts The Social Connection Chronicles podcast.
Learn More
Explore our library of practical articles on social skills, emotional understanding, and helping young people build confidence and connection.
