Teens Alive is an experience that cannot be compared to any other. I first started going because my dad thought I might like it and, if I am being honest, because I had nothing better to do. Now I go back every summer because I love both the program and the people I meet. During the few days that Teens Alive runs, I often get to know some of the people in the program better than many friends I have known for years.

Teens Alive is much more than just making friends though. Each person gets a chance to look into themselves, their lives and their relationships with the people closest to them. They get a chance to realize things about themselves that they never knew. Although, to a teen, this may sound like “counseling”, it most definitely isn’t. It is not easy to explain what Teens Alive is. There are many different experiences, such as group work, partner work, individual activities, games, discussions about anything and everything you can think of, and much more. The only way to really understand what the program is about, is to take it.

Teens Alive is split into three parts. Many teens attend the first program because their parents think they will like it, and sometimes even because they force them to go. Probably quite a few would not choose to go on their own, but most do choose, on their own, to stay for the second and third programs. I have met very few people that have not enjoyed themselves during the program.

Teens Alive is a great continuation of kids taking the Kids in the Spotlight course (Dance and Games). I attended Kids in the Spotlight as a participant for many years and I have been an assistant in the program for about four years. For me, going into Teens Alive was the perfect next step from Kids in the Spotlight. It is a great way to transition from one part of your life to another, from being with “kids” to being with “teens”. These two programs are very different in some senses, but also very alike in others. They both focus on the personal development of each participant, as well as the growth of the group and the interactions of peers. I have not attended 19 and Beyond because I am not 19 yet, but I think that it would be an amazing continuation to Teens Alive and Kids in the Spotlight.

I think that Teens Alive is a program every teen should experience. It is not something easily found in everyday life, and the experience can be taken forward into the rest of life. For me, Teens Alive turned out to be something that really changed me. I feel more confident, I have made many friends, and I have realized many things about myself that have really helped me in my life outside The Haven. There are many places and things available to seek personal help, gain insight, learn, make friends and have fun, but finding something that combines it all seems impossible. Teens Alive is just that.