Mission Statement
Hey U G L Y was founded in 2002 in response to the daily headlines describing the increase in teen suicide, gun violence in schools, bullying, drug abuse, eating disorders, and the obesity epidemic facing American youth. In 2004 Hey U G L Y, Inc. became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Description
Hey U G L Y's mission is to help teens succeed personally and academically by discovering their uniqueness, inner beauty and talents. We do this through seven initiatives:
1. The HeyUGLY.org website. Teens tell us (before visiting our site) they felt bad about themselves and then, after coming to Hey UGLY, they felt good. How cool is that!
2.Hey U G L Y's eM-POWERment Self-Esteem and Diversity-Building 16-week Curriculum is offered FREE to schools. It has received rave reviews from educators.
3.eM-POWERment Day presentations at school assemblies with separate sessions for teachers and parents to impact the three most important self-esteem and diversity-building environments for teens - home, school and self. Here are student results :
93% can recognize when they are having negative judgments against themselves and others
83% state they learned how to cancel out negative judgments and replace them with positive thoughts
58% indicate that no one has bullied them since our presentation
4. CHOOSE TO CHANGE Radio Show on WRHC-106.7FM which features songs that nurture positive self-esteem and promote diversity, perseverance, peace and a healthy planet.
5.CONTESTS: Acronym contest where we ask students to come up with positive acronyms for negative words like DORK, STUPID or LOSER. Essay contest where students write about why it's important to have good self-esteem.
6.HUE-MAN BEING Art Project(TM) an "ending racism" program to impress upon students, and illuminate to adults, that we are all brothers and sisters simply "hued" differently.
7.Self-esteem and diversity-building marketing initiatives.
