Herren Project Clubs

Empowering Youth to Make Healthy Choices, Live Substance-Free and Be True to Themselves

About Herren Project Clubs

Herren Project Clubs create a peer network in schools to empower youth to make healthy choices. They encourage overall wellness, development of coping skills and leadership in schools and communities. Through club meetings and events, students learn about healthy choices, decision-making skills, stress management, self-care, and empowerment. This allows them to cope with life’s challenges in a positive way while remaining substance-free. The school communities that form within Herren Project Clubs motivate students to be true to themselves and support one another.

If your school previously supported our retired THP Project Purple Initiative, you can now carry out Chris Herren’s message year-round by implementing Herren Project Clubs.

Herren Project Clubs is made possible through a grant from the Phyllis W. McGillicuddy Charitable Trust.

Why Start a Herren Project Club?

Middle and high school aged children are under more stress than ever before. From academic and athletic pressures to social pressures from their peers and social media, an average 72% of teens say they are “stressed out.” According to a 2018 study by the American Psychological Association, teens reported worse mental health and higher levels of anxiety and depression than all other age groups.

Prevention programs have a huge impact on schools and implementing the practice of wellness is starting to show an even greater impact on what we call “the first day” of addiction. Giving young adults the tools they need to build adaptive coping skills, rather than maladaptive coping skills like emotional eating or alcohol or drug use, is critical to the management of stress and misuse of substances.

Herren Project Clubs is a school-based, evidence-informed prevention and wellness program designed by clinicians and school counselors to empower students to live substance-free lives while creating a peer network in schools to encourage wellness, development of coping skills and leadership. Our goal is to give young adults the tools they need to make healthy choices and live happy, fulfilling lives.

Herren Project Clubs 5Pilars
Herren Project Clubs in schools and communities

Register Today!

Whether you already have a Herren Project Club at your school or you’re starting a new one, be sure to register with us! We’ve worked with clinicians, teachers and community members to develop fun club activities that teach students healthy ways of coping with life’s challenges in a healthy way to develop stress-management skills and strengthen the peer to peer support environment.

What’s Inside the Box?
• Tips on starting & growing your club
• Posters & stickers
• Club activities
• Case studies
• Fundraising ideas
• Resources & more!

Already have a Herren Project Club at your school?  Login to access the materials.

All registered schools receive exclusive access to our Herren Project Clubs digital content plus a physical box filled with activities, stickers, motivational posters and more! This fully loaded toolkit is mailed to all registered schools upon request.

Herren Project Clubs Toolkit
herren project clubs pledge
herren project club be true to yourself music guy poster
Herren project clubs real talk color block poster
herren project club be you find your crew poster
Icebreaker Beachball
Serenity Stones
Note to Self
Breathing Through Stress thumb 1

Posters & Activities

Herren Project Clubs empower youth to live substance-free and be proud of who they are. Students learn that they do not need drugs or alcohol to cope with life’s challenges. Herren Project Club activities help students learn healthy coping skills and teach students that they are perfect just they way they are. Spread awareness, positivity and hope at your school by printing and distributing Herren Project Clubs posters.

Register for a Herren Project Club to receive exclusive access to all posters and activity sheets!

Already have a Herren Project Club at your school?  Login to access the materials.

Posters & Activities

Herren Project Clubs empower youth to live substance-free and be proud of who they are. Students learn that they do not need drugs or alcohol to cope with life’s challenges. Herren Project Club activities help students learn healthy coping skills and teach students that they are perfect just they way they are. Spread awareness, positivity and hope at your school by printing and distributing Herren Project Clubs posters.

Register for a Herren Project Club to receive exclusive access to all posters and activity sheets!

Already have a Herren Project Club at your school?  Login to access the materials.

herren project clubs pledge
herren project club be true to yourself music guy poster
Herren project clubs real talk color block poster
herren project club be you find your crew poster
Icebreaker Beachball
Note to Self
Serenity Stones
Breathing Through Stress thumb 1

Attention Students! Sign up for our Monthly Newsletter.
Stay up-to-date with all of Herren Project’s youth engagement opportunities.

History of Herren Project Clubs

History

In 2012, Chris Herren, founder of Herren Project, spoke at Mount Hope High School in Bristol, Rhode Island, where a group of students was sitting in the front row wearing purple shirts. After Chris shared his story, one of the students raised their hand and said, “Thank you, Mr. Herren, for validating what we do. We are sober students, and each year we choose not to use drugs or alcohol.” Chris was inspired by the courage it took to stand up and share their purple shirts’ symbolism. Empowered to make a difference for adolescents everywhere, the THP Project Purple Initiative was born. From April 2014 through April 2019, the initiative empowered schools and communities nationwide to “GO PURPLE” and stand against substance abuse, encouraging living substance-free.

As Chris continued to speak across the country, more middle and high school students continued to reach out to Herren Project to share their stories and look for support. With the growing need for prevention and wellness resources, Herren Project knew it could make an even more significant impact on today’s youth. A group of educators, clinicians, student adjustment counselors, and students came together to create a program to meet the social and emotional needs of elementary, middle, and high school students. In April 2019, the THP Project Purple Initiative was officially retired, opening the door to an evidence-informed peer-to-peer club environment called Herren Project Clubs.

History

In 2012, Chris Herren, founder of Herren Project, spoke at Mount Hope High School in Bristol, Rhode Island, where a group of students was sitting in the front row wearing purple shirts. After Chris shared his story, one of the students raised their hand and said, “Thank you, Mr. Herren, for validating what we do. We are sober students, and each year we choose not to use drugs or alcohol.” Chris was inspired by the courage it took to stand up and share their purple shirts’ symbolism. Empowered to make a difference for adolescents everywhere, the THP Project Purple Initiative was born. From April 2014 through April 2019, the initiative empowered schools and communities nationwide to “GO PURPLE” and stand against substance abuse, encouraging living substance-free.

As Chris continued to speak across the country, more middle and high school students continued to reach out to Herren Project to share their stories and look for support. With the growing need for prevention and wellness resources, Herren Project knew it could make an even more significant impact on today’s youth. A group of educators, clinicians, student adjustment counselors, and students came together to create a program to meet the social and emotional needs of elementary, middle, and high school students. In April 2019, the THP Project Purple Initiative was officially retired, opening the door to an evidence-informed peer-to-peer club environment called Herren Project Clubs.

History of Herren Project Clubs

Get the Gear

Check out our exclusive Herren Project Clubs gear and swag! We have shirts, hats, sweatshirts, mugs and fanny packs. Wearing Herren Project Clubs gear is a great way to spread the BE YOU message and show your Herren Project Clubs pride!

Looking to order our classic purple BE YOU shirt in bulk? Please email [email protected] for more information.

Get the Gear

Check out our exclusive Herren Project Clubs gear and swag! We have shirts, hats, sweatshirts, mugs and fanny packs. Wearing Herren Project Clubs gear is a great way to spread the BE YOU message and show your Herren Project Clubs pride!

Looking to order our classic purple BE YOU shirt in bulk? Please email [email protected] for more information.

Herren Project Student Scholarships

Scholarships & Grants
In an effort to give back to schools and communities nationwide, Herren Project offers scholarships and grants specifically for high school seniors, after-prom and graduation events, and for The First Day film.

Herren Project Wellness Week with Herren

Wellness Week with Herren
WWWH is a nationwide prevention initiative and wellness movement to prevent the misuse of substances, empower those affected by the disease of addiction and encourage overall wellbeing.

Herren Project Student Resources

Student Resources
Get the answers you need. Herren Project has compiled a list of trusted resources related to substance use, mental health and wellness. Our licensed clinicians are also available to answer your questions.

Herren Project Student Scholarships

Scholarships & Grants
In an effort to give back to schools and communities nationwide, Herren Project offers scholarships and grants specifically for high school seniors, after-prom and graduation events, and for The First Day film.

Herren Project Wellness Week with Herren

Wellness Week with Herren
WWWH is a nationwide prevention initiative and wellness movement to prevent the misuse of substances, empower those affected by the disease of addiction and encourage overall wellbeing.

Herren Project Student Resources

Student Resources
Get the answers you need. Herren Project has compiled a list of trusted resources related to substance use, mental health and wellness. Our licensed clinicians are also available to answer your questions.

“Be comfortable with who you are. Know you are perfect just the way you are and that you do not need substances to change who you are.” – Chris Herren

“Be comfortable with who you are. Know you are perfect just the way you are and that you do not need substances to change who you are.” – Chris Herren