The Institute for Relationship Intelligence reaches thousands of teens each year in urban & suburban areas of NJ/PA and other states with messages of healthy relationships, self-leadership and service to others.
In the last decade, I.R.I. has reached more than 130,000 youth, helping them to focus on achieving their future dreams and avoiding the traps that could endanger their lives and goals!
The Institute for Relationship Intelligence is a 501c3 nonprofit organization (EIN 22-3301766). All donations are deeply appreciated and tax-deductible.
Recent Articles
Study: Weed Makes You Stupid
BY ATHENA THORNE PJ Media, JAN 31, 2022
Anyone who ever had a garage band knows how hard it is to find a good, reliable drummer. The band I had in my younger days went through several talented guys. They were great musicians and improved the entire venture exponentially — when they remembered to show up. Which wasn’t often. We fired one after another and finally resorted to taking turns on the drums ourselves. (We were awful.) But these talented, brilliant drummers loved getting high, and so things like remembering to show up for their commitments often fell by the wayside. Their […]
Wyatt’s Story
In this video, Julie Hofmans talks about the tragic overdose death of her son Wyatt. Wyatt passed away at age 23 after taking a pill he thought was Xanax. The pill was actually laced with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Community Articles
“Many students came to me, begging for LoveSmart to come back next year!”
As a school counselor for Jersey City and a mental health clinician for several counties, I believe that the best way to help someone make the best decision for themselves is to provide them with as much information as possible. Too often, people will make life-changing decisions without weighing the pros and cons of the situations or even knowing what other options there could be for them out there.
Our adolescents are constantly being bombarded with different messages and suggestions of how to be cool and respected by their peers but not by their own standards and definitely not how to […]
Free Teens member honored with MLK youth recognition award
The Paterson Youth Council and the mayor of Paterson bestowed Khadija Moody with the Youth Recognition Award, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., on January 19, 2015, for her volunteer work, community service, academic accomplishments, and her involvement with Free Teens of Paterson along with other notable organizations.
The following is an essay she wrote regarding her experiences with Free Teens:
“What I’ve Learned from Free Teens”
Khadijah Moody, 14, 9th grader at Eastside HS
Why do I choose to be a Free Teen? Well, why not? Free Teens […]