What is Project Friendship?

 

Project Friendship connects high school students living in communities affected by disaster with students from communities that are not experiencing a disaster.

Students are paired with someone their own age who shares some of their interests and then connect online to get to know one another. They can talk about school, music, sports, hobbies, and everyday life. The goal is simple: to create friendship, connection, and support across communities.

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How It Works

1. Meet Your Friendship Partner

Students are paired with another high school student based on things like age and shared interests.

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2. Connect Online

Students communicate with their Friendship Partner through email, video calls, or other online platforms. They decide what they want to talk about and get to know each other over time.

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3. Join Monthly Meetings

Each month, students participate in two types of meetings:

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AMBASSADOR TRAINING
Students take part in a monthly workshop focused on skills such as active listening, communication, and understanding different cultures.

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FRIENDSHIP GATHERINGS
All Friendship Ambassadors come together for a monthly group meeting with activities, conversation, and opportunities to meet other students in the program.

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4. Build a Friendship

Over the course of the program, students have the opportunity to develop a meaningful friendship while learning about another person, community, and culture.

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Why Friendship?

When young people experience disaster, life can feel uncertain and isolating.

A supportive friendship can provide a sense of connection and remind students that they are not alone. Project Friendship gives young people a chance to step outside of their immediate circumstances, meet someone new, and discover the things they have in common.

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Extensive research demonstrates that friendship and personal support build resilience during disasters. 

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Meet the Team

Project Friendship is supported by educators, counselors, researchers, and volunteers from around the world who are committed to helping young people build connection and resilience.

 

Taylor Nada

Undergraduate Student, UCLA Department of Psychology; Disastershock Ambassador

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Nurit Kaplan Toren, PhD
PhD, Director: Graduate Leadership Program, Oranim College of Education, Tivon, Israel; Senior Editor: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium in School-Based Family Counseling

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Eileen Klima, MA, LMFT
MA, LMFT, School Counselor: Arcata High School; Director: Disastershock Ambassador Program; Member: School Family Therapy Topical Interest Group, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

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Dr. Meegan Brown

School of Education, Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice; Queensland University of Technology Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

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Dr. Brian Gerrard, PhD

Interact Adviser: Rotary Club of Niagara Falls; Co-Director: Disastershock Global Response Team;  Chief Academic Officer, Western Institute for Social Research, Berkeley

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Gertrude Baera

Teacher: Dominican High School, Harare, Zimbabwe

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Rania Gadban
Teacher: Hurfiesh Comprehensive School, Israel

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Rachel Johnston

Specialist: JustServe

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Student Leadership Team
Kayden Johnston
Griffin Johnston
Aaron Sanford
Priscilla Mawire
Shamiso Mukoyi
Sawyer Hunt
Tennyson Hunt

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Project Friendship is sponsored by the Center for Disaster Healing Resources (CDHR)

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Apply to Become a Friendship Ambassador

Are you a high school student interested in meeting someone new, learning about another community, and building a friendship across distance?

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We'd love to have you join us!

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