Many teens and young adults feel alone, even when they're surrounded by people, and some are being bullied. Having even one good friend helps with both. We teach young people the skills to make those friendships, because connection is a skill, and every young person can learn it.
The young people who seem "naturally social" aren't a different species. They just got more practice. Connection is a skill, and it can be taught.
That single idea is hopeful, because it means a shy or anxious young person isn't broken or doomed. They're under-practiced, and that's something that can change. The SIEL Project exists to give teens and young adults that practice, and the confidence that comes with it.
For the past few years we've been out in the community and publishing free help online. Now we're ready to bring hands-on workshops into schools.
We show up at schools, community events, and resource nights, presenting to educators and putting practical social-skills tools directly into the hands of students and the parents who care about them. It's how we build relationships and reach the people who need us.
We publish free articles and guides for students and parents on making friends, shyness, loneliness and bullying. They're read in both the US and the Philippines.
Our hands-on workshops give teens and young adults the chance to actually practice: starting conversations, listening well, recovering from awkward moments, and building real friendships. We're ready to bring them into schools, free to the ones that couldn't otherwise afford them.
The SIEL Project was founded by John Bush, who has spent over 10,000 hours helping people build social confidence one-on-one, co-created and taught a social-skills program in a high school classroom, and has years of experience speaking and presenting. The approach behind our work is proven, not theoretical. Our mission is simply to bring it, free, to the young people who need it most and could never otherwise access it.
More about our missionGifts go where they will do the most good for young people: free workshops for schools, free articles on friendship, loneliness and bullying, and the basic costs of running a registered charity.
To give you a sense of scale, about $500 covers a full workshop for a class of roughly 25 students.
Honest, judgment-free help with friendship, confidence, belonging and bullying.
Three short guides sent straight to your inbox, plus 300 conversation questions sorted by situation, then a few practical notes over the following couple of weeks. Free, and you can stop any time.