The Courage to Speak® Foundation Information

The Courage to Speak® Foundation is helping children and parents across the country end the Conspiracy of Silence™ surrounding drug abuse. A Connecticut-based nonprofit with a national reach, the Foundation provides scientifically evaluated, proven drug prevention resources to help break through the silence and denial that enables adolescent alcohol and drug use. Children and teens communicate more today than ever before –through texting, emailing and gossip. But when it comes to what torments them and how they self medicate that pain with drugs and alcohol…. Silence. That “conspiracy of silence™” is killing our friends and children. They need the “Courage to Speak.” Ginger Katz founded the organization in 1996 and is devoted to fulfilling a promise she made to her son Ian, who died at the age of 20 of an accidental drug overdose – to do everything in her power to prevent this tragedy from happening to another family. The heart of the work is the nationally renowned Courage to Speak Presentation. The Foundation’s programs were developed with a team of experts, and help parents and children discover “the courage to speak”. Courage to Speak Drug Prevention Education Curricula, includes distinctive programs for elementary, middle and high schools taught by classroom teachers Courage to Speak - Courageous Parenting 101™, a free 5 session course designed so that parents can understand what their children face and to arm them with information and tools to keep their children safe. The Courage To Speak Foundation has formed alliances and collaborates with state and national organizations such as the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, the US Dept of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, Mid-Fairfield Substance Abuse Coalition, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and other local and state groups. For more information visit www.couragetospeak.org