Who can attend RI Teen Institute?

Any teen age 14-18 who lives in Rhode Island is eligible to attend TI. Participants are nominated by an adult in their life who sees their leadership ability or potential. (Let TI know if you need a sponsor.) Youth who have graduated from TI cannot repeat the program, and may apply as staff. Adults may apply to attend as a staff member, session presenter, or workshop facilitator. All applications are available here.

How do teens spend their time at TI?

Enrollment includes five days/four nights lodging, all meals and snacks from lunch on Monday through lunch on Friday, team-building activities, action planning, Project Adventure low ropes course challenges, workshops, a talent show, sessions to discuss issues important to youth, a dance, process groups, and optional activities such as swimming or boating, sports, arts, and more.

Participants learn from one another, challenge themselves to expand their comfort zones, imagine new possibilities, gain skills to unlock potential, build trusting teams, practice communication styles, and take action toward making healthy decisions for themselves and their communities, all while having lots of fun.

Teens will be part of three groups while at TI: a Family Group, an Action Group, and a cabin. Family Groups are composed of youth from around RI discussing the day's activities. Action Groups are assigned based on region or school and include Project Adventure and Action Planning. Cabins are for winding down at night and sleeping, so not much waking time is spent here. Free time to relax is built into the schedule, but does not take place in cabins.

What are the facilities, meals, and cabins like?

The April 2026 TI conference will take place at Camp JORI alongside Worden’s Pond in Wakefield, RI. The isolated woodsy setting and fields and the well-kept cabins and facilities accommodate various outdoor and indoor activities. This is not an outdoor camping experience. There is a large dining hall where all meals, snacks, and desserts will be served buffet-style with many options to accommodate various diets and allergies. There is a large auditorium available for sessions, various indoor spaces to accommodate small groups, single occupancy shower and bathroom stalls, and a Health Center with an infirmary. Cabins are assigned by gender, so males room with other males, females room with other females, and nonbinary or trans youth discuss appropriate placement with TI staff ahead of the conference. Groups of three or more, including at least one staff member, are required to enter a cabin to ensure safety as well as the security of all belongings. 

What should I pack for TI?

Participants must have a water bottle, comfortable clothing for a range of weather, closed-toe shoes like sneakers, bedding, a towel, and necessary medication and hygiene items. (Extra items will be brought to TI for participants who need them.) Participants may want to bring a watch, hairdryer, personal fan, or items needed for their talent show act. Participants do NOT need to bring money or food. (There is nothing to buy at TI and all meals and plenty of snacks are provided.) If you choose to bring any smart devices, they will be collected and stored at the start of TI, with minimal opportunities to use them during the week. A detailed list of things to bring will be provided within the TI acceptance packet.

What is the TI Philosophy?

Operating under the belief that “everyone has a piece of good news,” TI aims to create a supportive community for teens of diverse backgrounds to nurture their leadership skills, learn from one another, and foster healthy decision-making.

Each participant will be challenged to expand their comfort zone, without being knocked out of it. All activities at TI are a “challenge by choice,” meaning youth can opt out if an activity doesn’t feel right or safe to them. At the end of the week, teens will have overcome challenges because they chose to, not because they were forced to. Their victories will be their own.

TI was founded on two premises:
- "Prevention programs must provide teens with the psycho-social tools necessary to make healthy decisions, and act on them when confronted by challenges to their safety and well-being.”
- "Youth can be effective in changing negative social norms that promote harmful behaviors.”

The vision for a TI graduate is similar to a pebble tossed into a pond;  their impact will ripple out to their peers and their communities. Upon graduating from TI, youth pursue Action Plans to improve the community they are returning to, and they are given opportunities to engage with other teens by participating in existing prevention programs in their region or school district.

Who are the TI Adult Staff?

TI's Project Manager Jen "Skippy" Stevens is a TI graduate who served TI as youth staff, youth staff coordinator, adult staff, and program coordinator over the 16 years she'd been with TI. Jen is passionate about social and environmental justice, produces live arts performances, and is a certified mediator pursuing an MA in Youth Development from Rhode Island College.

Wole Akinbi is TI's project assistant and Community Liaison for half full, inc. A TI graduate with a wealth of community-building and leadership experience, Wole is passionate about youth development, workforce development, and improving his Smith Hill neighborhood in Providence through various community initiatives. 

Tayla von Ash is TI's evaluator. She graduated from TI and served as youth staff before pursuing degrees in public health from UCLA, Yale, and Harvard. Dr. von Ash serves as Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity at the Brown University School of Public Health, and is also an advisor for the undergraduate concentration in Public Health.

Other adult staff include former TI graduates and staff, as well as local youth workers. All TI adult staff must pass a criminal background check to staff TI. Adults may apply to staff TI here.

What opportunities do TI graduates have after TI?

All TI graduates are part of a network of youth and adults who serve their communities as leaders, mentors, and professionals. Following TI, graduates are encouraged to complete their Action Plans, attend their TI reunion, and connect with local organizations offering opportunities to engage in community-building and prevention initiatives. Youth graduates are invited to apply as Youth Staff for future TIs, and may participate in a TI Youth Advisory Board. TI remains a resource for all graduates.

Teen Testimonials

What should applicants know about TI?

"TI was great. I had my expectations high and they met them. I am beyond grateful for all the friends I’ve met. Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing…except how much I packed!"

"Being a part of TI has been such an amazing experience getting out of my comfort zone and meeting tons of amazing people."
- Hope High School student

"Don’t be afraid to be yourself."
- North Kingstown High School student

What's Family Group like?

"My family group felt like a family where it was very comfortable. We are all so very different and yet we get along so well. This surprised me, in a good way."

"I love [being] in family group. You can share your opinions and talk freely without being judged. You are always heard and never talked over."

"Being a part of a family group is amazing. We can tell each other anything with no judgment. We become like a real family in a week."
- Junior at Hope High School

What's Action Group like?

"In action group, we did things that I didn’t think were possible."
- Senior at The Met High School

"Action group definitely helped me build my confidence and helped me exercise my leadership skills!"
– Junior at The Met High School

"This action group experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me that I am more capable than I had thought I was."
-Senior at Classical High School

"Action group has two meanings: the group you do activities with and the team you become leaders with. You have so much fun and are making a difference without evening realizing it."
- Junior at Classical High School

"I didn’t expect to have so much fun in action group with people I never thought I would meet."
- Junior at Hope High School