Herren Project Club Spotlight
Wake Monarch Academy’s Mission is to “provide a recovery-based environment for students to successfully pursue academic, personal and professional goals.” The staff and students at Wake Monarch share a set of core values as well, which are Community, Accountability, Acceptance, Recovery First, and Education. In valuing the mission and core values, the staff and students thrive!
The school also has a very successful Herren Project Club, led by their advisor, Ian McLean. Ian embodies the mission of Herren Project and has shared that their club has been active since they opened in August of 2021. Now with 15 students, they are in their third year of welcoming youth to join the Herren Project Club. They meet once to twice a week and are continuously working on Herren Project Club activities. Fundraising events, such as the Be The Light 5K, Recovery Golf Classic, and Gala for Recovery, help support their school and programming, including their Herren Project Club.
“I am the lead recovery coach of Wake Monarch Academy. I work on helping the students build happy lives in recovery from substance use. I focus on a whole person approach to building a strong platform for life and sobriety.” -Ian McLean
Wake Monarch Academy was one of the schools to receive a grant from Herren Project for their sober prom, or “Sprom” event last year. They were able to use the funds to provide a safe and fun environment for their students, creating memories to last a lifetime. Wake Monarch also invited youth from The Insight Program, which is an Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program, to join them at their Sprom. All students enjoyed a DJ, dinner, and dancing. Ian shared they also had some fun with superlatives and a sobriety countdown, which ended with 60 people on stage. The countdown ranged from 42 years to 24 hours. They all shared that moment as one.
Some Wake Monarch students and staff at the Be the Light 5k. They were able to raise funds as well as bring awareness about mental health.
Read more to see what the students at Wake Monarch Academy have to say about their experience at the school.
“My experience at Wake Monarch so far has been very defining. It has helped give me the courage and power to stay sober. I have a support group of like-minded individuals who are here to help me. I am very happy here.”-WMA student
“Wake Monarch has had a very positive effect on my life. I enjoy the support from the peers and staff. I also enjoy all of the extracurricular activities we do such as riding horses or working out at the CrossFit gym we attend.”-WMA student
Ian McLean shares the impact Wake Monarch Academy has had on him:
“Wake Monarch Academy has had not only a significant impact on my professional life but also on my own personal recovery from substance use disorder. I learn just as much from the kids as I do from the staff and community partners who work with or for Wake Monarch Academy. My favorite part of working at Wake Monarch Academy is seeing the “Light” come on in someone’s eyes when they finally start to break free from their struggles with substance use.”-Ian McLean
We at Herren Project are proud to partner with Wake Monarch Academy and appreciate all the work that goes into providing a safe, fun, and successful environment for youth living with substance disorders. Through the work they do, they are helping youth reach their goals and giving them the tools they need to continue on their sobriety journey. Thank you to the staff and students for sharing their journey with the Herren Project. We are excited to see what their Herren Project Club has in store for the coming school year!
Herren Project Clubs is a school-based, evidence-informed prevention and wellness program designed by prevention specialists, clinicians, and school counselors to empower students to live substance-free while creating a peer network in schools. Its goal is to provide tools to strengthen social-emotional learning and coping skills to make healthy choices and live fulfilling lives.
Learn more about Herren Project Clubs and register to start a club at your school.
