A Good Grief Network Program for Teens

Do you feel overwhelmed by the climate crisis and lack of meaningful action?

Are you struggling to find joy in the world that’s been handed to you by your elders?

Do you want a place to talk about your thoughts and feelings with other teens who feel the same?

You are not alone.

Applications are now open for a donation-based online program that helps teens build emotional resilience and community over 5 weeks.

 

 

	Program Time/Dates
	1pm - 2:30pm PDT / 4pm - 5:30pm EDT (U.S.)
	Friday, July 14
	Friday, July 21
	Friday, July 28
	Friday, August 4
	Friday, August 11

 

*To confirm the meeting time in your time zone, check every time zone.

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The GGN-Z program offers peer-to-peer support where people come together for 1.5 hours a week, over 5 weeks, to build community, gain tools for coping, and reconnect with our aliveness and joy. Each group is facilitated by GGN-trained facilitators. This is not a therapy program.

We prioritize an intimate group experience, capping each group at 15 participants, including the two-person facilitation team. By joining this program, you'll receive 5 facilitated sessions along with a digital workbook full of activities, resources, and space to record your thoughts.

In each session, our facilitators will create a brave, emergent container where we can explore what it means to be alive in this unprecendented moment on Earth. We will do the work of facing and processing our feelings with others, commiting to self-exploration and healing, and reframing meaningful action in times of tumult.

Learn more about GGN-Z by clicking here.

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Session 1: Feeling Our Feelings: Climate change & other systemic issues

Session 2: Being With Growing Uncertainty: Today & in the future

Session 3: Processing Our Feelings: Getting to the root of our human responses

Session 4: Questioning Our Stories: Learning & unlearning what we've been taught 

Session 5: Showing Up: Reinvesting in meaningful actions

 

 
Important Notes:

• This program is open to teens ages 14-18

• To be considered for this program, you must complete this application and commit to attending all five sessions

• If you're accepted into this program, we require a signed consent form from a parent or legal guardian, if you're under 18. There will be periodic parent/guardian check-ins througout the program
  

   

TESTIMONIALS FOR GGN-Z

"This program was super beneficial in the way that it created a space to talk about a lot of the anxieties that arise when discussing climate change. There tends to be a lot of darkness and negativity when it comes with global warming, but this program helped to learn to focus on the brighter, more positive things. Very grateful for this experience!"

"This program was one of such uniqueness. It’s different than anything I have seen before or been offered. A lot of teens seek opportunities like these where they have a safe space to talk about the climate crisis and anxiety that follows that. So this program leads you in activities that are well thought out and overall make you look at the environment in a more positive way! Eye-opening!"

"The [GGN-Z] Circle was an amazing experience to look further into environmental issues facing our world today, as well as learning more about ourselves and our own emotions around various topics. The sessions were quite helpful in that they provided a forum for exploring many areas of concerns that come up when talking about climate change. When it comes to these topics there is sometimes a lot of worry, but this program was helpful find more optimistic aspects of situations. I would definitely recommend this program as it helped me a lot!"

Program Facilitators 

Annalisa Galgano 

Annalisa is a nonprofit educator with a passion for youth mental health. She holds a bachelor's degree in Social Research & Public Policy from NYU Abu Dhabi, where she co-founded REACH, a peer-led mental health education and counseling program for university students. During her time as a graduate student at Columbia University, Annalisa worked with young people as a tutor and volunteered as a crisis counselor in her free time. Annalisa participated in a GGN 10-Step Program in 2021 and found the program transformative in her own life. She has been working with GGN for the past year to train as a facilitator and develop the 5-step GGN-Z youth program. She is excited to bring her experience and passion to facilitate this program and support young people on their journeys towards personal growth and healing.

Susan Igras 

Susan is a program developer and evaluator focused on teen health and wellbeing. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of Michigan and a Master of Public Health degree from Tulane University. Her interests, work, and joy have been in the international sphere. She supports staff and young people in nonprofits and governments to improve adolescent and youth-focused programs in Africa and Asia. Susan learned about GGN in 2021 and joined a 10-Step Program. It was a phenomenal experience! And highlighted the gap in similar programs for teens. This past year she has worked with GGN to develop and test, with teen advisors, the GGN Gen Z Circle program. She looks forward to the summer programs and learning from young people as they explore their thoughts, feelings, and forward actions.

To be considered for this program, please fill out the application completely.

Please note that this is an application form; it does not secure you place in this program.

If accepted into GGN-Z, you will receive an email from your facilitators within 1-2 weeks.

If accepted into this program, you will be asked to pay a small donation to secure your seat.