Nearly a decade after 15-year-old Benji Kenworthy of Port Townsend took his own life in 2015, the Benji Project started by his mother, Cynthia Osterman, is working to protect the mental health of other adolescents throughout Jefferson County.

Osterman has spoken about how her son’s suicide took the family by surprise, even as she’s acknowledged the pressures that are common to adolescence, often due to high expectations we hold for ourselves.

When she founded the Benji Project in 2017, Osterman said, “We aren’t supposed to be perfect. I hope that offering teens mindfulness and self-compassion will provide some tools to help them navigate the ups and downs of this life stage with greater ease.”

The Benji Project is ringing in 2025 with an eight-session semi-weekly after-school program, running from January through March at the Jefferson County Library in Port Hadlock, to offer “a safe haven for stressed-out teens,” according to Heather McRae-Woolf.

McRae-Woolf serves as executive director of the Benji Project, and hopes to see plenty of students from grades 5 and up at the Wednesday library sessions from 2:45-4:45 p.m., as she touted feedback indicating the project’s programs have aided area youths in navigating “the pressure cooker” of adolescence.

“We’ve reached more than 1,800 young people throughout Jefferson County since then,” McRae-Woolf said. “Cynthia’s vision was to furnish them with tools for mindful self-compassion, and I was one of the first instructors hired to teach that curriculum. We now have eight local instructors trained on that curriculum.”

McRae-Woolf explained that the after-school library program on Jan. 15, 22 and 29, as well as on Feb. 5 and 12 and March 5, 12 and 19, is intended for teens and preteens who might be feeling overwhelmed, and looking for healthy ways to both release pressure and strengthen their resilience, while relaxing with other young people.

“We all deserve space and time to unwind, to reflect on life’s sweet and challenging moments, and to learn how to be a little kinder to ourselves,” McRae-Woolf said. “This equips us to navigate change, difficulty and even crisis with a little more grace.”

To that end, the Benji Project’s winter after-school program is designed to:

• Foster emotional well-being, by helping teens develop emotional skills through guided mindfulness practices, “leading to greater resilience and emotional stability in their daily lives.”

• Boost academic performance, by equipping teens with techniques to enhance concentration and focus, which McRae-Woolf anticipates should make homework and studying “more efficient and less stressful.”

• Cultivate lifelong skills, by encouraging habits to support mental health and emotional intelligence, “preparing teens for future challenges and fostering a balanced, healthy mindset.”

Eden Trenor, one of the co-facilitators of the after-school program, sees it as her role, as an instructor with the Benji Project, “to create an environment where teens can feel at ease, connect with themselves and each other outside of school, and try out tools and practices to help with anxiety, overwhelming stress and strong emotions.”

McRae-Woolf elaborated that each of the eight sessions “supports multiple learning styles,” by incorporating hands-on arts, imaginative exercises, somatic practices, conversation and journaling.

“This can be a transformational experience for many young people, giving them an introduction to practices that promote calm, focus, and emotional growth,” McRae-Woolf said. “The feedback we’ve received, from those who work in mental health in the schools, is that they’ve asked students about anxieties and coping, and an increasing number of students are using tools such as those outlined in our program, from deep breathing to noticing their senses.”

McRae-Woolf added that the Benji Project even goes so far as to provide “tasty snacks,” so students can refuel after school.

“Offering good food is part of creating a caring environment,” McRae-Woolf said. “Making sure these kids are physically well-nourished is part of providing a whole range of care to lessen their stresses.”

McRae-Woolf concluded by noting that the Benji Project does not turn anyone away due to lack of funds, and upon registration at thebenjiproject.org/after-school, families may select the tuition levels that work best for them, including full scholarships.