H.E.A.R.T.S.

Helping Each Adolescent Reach Their Spark (H.E.A.R.T.S) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that educates and equips adolescent-student parents with the tools needed to become independent and self-sufficient. The H.E.A.R.T.S organizational goal is to reduce the high school dropout standards attributed to the consistent rates of unintended/untimely pregnancies and reduce the probability of rising repeat teen pregnancies within Durham County and beyond.  Our organization provides support services and resources to help adolescent-student parents achieve their best life and close the gap of disparities impacting this specific population. 

The H.E.A.R.T.S. organization serves adolescent student parents living in Durham County, helping them to cultivate a positive growth development by navigating participants from a poverty mindset and environment to sustainability and progress. H.E.A.R.T.S NC created a school-based program integrating Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs model to support the thematic curriculum to enhance self-efficacy in adolescent parents. The critical components to the H.E.A.R.T.S program, affectionately coined “Keys to H.E.A.R.T.S,” are Self-Development, Family Development, Financial Awareness, and Intellectual Development. 

Our vision is to offer multi-dimensional support and educational services for pregnant adolescents and student parents, providing them with comprehensive instructional support and resources that include:

• We are promoting self-esteem, self-worth, respect, and self-recognition.
• Basic needs (i.e., clothing, shelter, food for parents/children).
• Life skills, not limited to useful parenting tools and maintain housing.
• Financial awareness and management and exploring workforce development opportunities and entrepreneurial education.

H.E.A.R.T.S provides a haven for young parents to cultivate their self-efficacy skills and enhance their development in every aspect—individually, familial, intellectually, and environmentally.  The H.E.A.R.T.S. organization is intentional about developing and sustaining positive connections, friendships, mentorships between participants, organizational staff, and community partners.  H.E.A.R.T.S designed to create a life-long impact for the participants and their intersecting communities.