Our Mission

Our Mission

The Best Friends Foundation strives to provide a nationwide network of programs that is dedicated to the physical and emotional well-being of adolescents. It provides scientifically researched and developmentally sound curriculum designed for middle and high school students. The Foundation promotes self-respect through self-control and provides participants the guidance to avoid risky behaviors which can destroy their goals and dreams. In the spirit of true friendship, the Best Friends Foundation provides positive peer groups for adolescents and creates an environment that raises aspirations and promotes achievement.

Five Basic BFF Goals:

1. To develop critical thinking skills in adolescents to enable them to progress from the concrete to the operational stage of reasoning in which they can anticipate consequences and make sound decisions.
2. To develop a sense of self-respect and self-worth through achievement within the community and through their own self-control;
3. To enrich the lives of adolescents by promoting their aspirations and providing decision-making skills;
4. To incorporate the school, families, role models and teacher mentors into the adolescent support system; and
5. To provide educational assemblies and seminars of Kindness is Cooler for Pk – 12 grade students which promote a sense of connection to the school and to each other.

The Best Friends Foundation strives to provide a nationwide network of programs that is dedicated to the physical and emotional well-being of adolescents.

Since 1987 the Best Friends Foundation has served over 20,000 students in Washington DC, and across the nation. Our staff takes great pride in the fact that research on the BFF Leadership program has demonstrated significant reduction in risk behavior and increased positive peer relationships. However, we are alarmed at the recent relationship violence, and drug use among pre-teens and teens. A recent front page article in the Washington Post stated that sexual violence is now occurring at an increased rate in the lower grades. In response to the current issue of adolescent violence and abusive behavior, the Best Friends Foundation has developed the Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention Seminar: Stop the Silence, Prevent the Violence.

The Best Friends Foundation was a recipient of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Healthy Marriage/Healthy Relationships grant for middle and high school students. An important component of the grant was the focus on teen violence and abuse in intimate relationships. We would like to expand our program to offer our HHS approved curriculum and Violence and Abuse Prevention Protocol to more students and teachers and to extend the bullying prevention program to elementary and middle schools.

It is estimated that almost 30% of the youth in the United States are involved in bullying and abuse as either a perpetrator or a target. In addition, one out of every ten high school students has been a victim of relationship violence. Adolescents involved in violence and abuse tend to get in trouble more often and have lower achievement than youth who do not experience such behavior. They are also most likely to fight, drink, use drugs, and smoke than their peers.