A faith-based youth program will make its way into parochial schools this school year, alerting students to the dangers of drugs, alcohol and other challenges they may face.
The Anne Marie Project, a coalition founded by Julie Gramlich, a youth minister at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, will hold informational sessions during health classes or designated times during school hours at Catholic grade schools and high schools. The program started after Gramlich connected with a young girl, Anne Marie, who was battling addiction with drugs, alcohol and other life issues.
The organization is rooted in the Roman Catholic faith, and Gramlich said being associated with that community has allowed her to "open doors" with youth.
"My task is to direct kids back to God and how He can help them," Gramlich said.
The project originated online as a way to reach teenagers and provide them with an accessible place to go for guidance, Gramlich said. After a recent website redesign, led by Ken Hussey, the Anne Marie Project vice president who sits on the Jefferson City City Council, Gramlich said the website (www.learntalklive.com) has a blog-style format.
College-age and post-college adults share their thoughts and life experiences on the site and tackle issues concerning drugs and alcohol, but also pre-martial sex, eating disorders, bullying, mental health, faith and more. Professionals from Grace Counseling, priests, middle-aged adults and select high school students also contribute. Gramlich proofreads all blog submissions and then posts them online.
Anna Komaromi, a 25-year-old nurse at the University of Kansas Hospital, regularly writes for the website, and said she joined the project about three years ago because she believes in its mission.
"When I was first introduced to it, I wanted to be able to help in (Gramlich's) mission to inspire young people to be holy and also to realize their value, worth and beauty, especially in the eyes of God," said Komaromi, who is from Jefferson City.
Helias Catholic High School alumnus Ryan Bax, 23, said the Anne Marie Project was the opportunity he was looking for to make a difference in teenagers' lives as he exited high school.
"We're using the talents that God gave us to further advance people He's made," he said.
Gramlich said she wants to reach more parents through programming this school year. The goal will be to inform parents of the same lessons they're children are learning. With parental partnerships, she added the organization will be able to reach children at a young age and take preventative measures. The Anne Marie Project will also educate parents on community resources available to their children and families.
"I feel like they're the first educators of our children," Gramlich said. "They're the first people that our children listen to, and I believe if more parents knew, then they'd do a better job at preventing their children from going down these paths."
Hussey said awareness with parents should allow them to more easily identify warning signs.
"I think that a lot of parents, like any parent, are somewhat maybe naive to some of the things that are taking place," Hussey said. "Maybe they're just overlooking some of the warning signs and thinking, "Oh, not my son. Not my daughter. They wouldn't be doing those things.'"
The Anne Marie Project will also collaborate with advertising students at the University of Missouri to develop a social media strategy. Because most teenagers today are in tune with social media, Gramlich said a new digital approach would allow the organization to attract, and therefore help, more teenagers while combating the sometimes-harmful effects of social media.
In a past interaction, Gramlich said a young girl told her if her picture didn't garner a certain amount of "likes" online, she would take it down.
"That's a mental issue that can escalate over time if it's not addressed or talked about," Gramlich said. "Be comfortable with yourself and who you are and it won't matter if you only get 10 likes. If you like it, that's all that matters. But, social media is very dangerous today."
The overall objective, Gramlich said, is for teenagers to accept themselves and learn coping skills so they don't look to drugs, alcohol or other harmful things.
"The Anne Marie Project evolved because (Anne Marie) was willing to accept (drugs and alcohol)," she said. "All of a sudden (teenagers) become somebody they couldn't imagine they would've become. That's what happened to Anne Marie."