Begin with self awareness, continue in community
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An intentional youth community dedicated to altruism and compassion.
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We work to instill secular ethics, happiness, service, and reverence for life in high school students. We believe in fostering a youth community that is enthusiastic about making the world a better place through translating human values into tangible service.
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The Compassionate Leaders Program is for Sophomores - Seniors in High School.
compassionate leaders program
● Program Overview
Here's a glimpse of what participants discover along the way:
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Most of us chase happiness in the wrong places. Students learn to tell the difference between fleeting pleasures and the kind of deep, lasting well-being that comes from who you are, not what you have.
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Through meditation, reflection, and practice, students develop the ability to notice what's happening inside them. Their thoughts, emotions, reactions, and learn to respond with greater clarity and care rather than act on impulse.
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Students explore what it means to genuinely care for others. Understanding suffering, recognizing our shared humanity, and moving through the world with an open heart. This isn't abstract. It gets put into practice locally, nationally, and internationally in places like India, Morocco, and South Africa.
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Students get clear on what they stand for, and learn how living in alignment with those values is one of the most powerful sources of confidence and well-being available to any of us.
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Anger, fear, envy, anxiety, rather than avoiding these experiences, students learn to understand them, name them, and work with them constructively.
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Perhaps most importantly, students discover what it feels like to be truly seen and accepted, and learn how to offer that same experience to others.
What You’ll Learn
The Compassionate Leaders Program is a year-long journey designed to help young people develop the inner tools for a happier, more meaningful life, and to become a positive force in the world around them.
At its heart, the program explores one big question: What does it mean to flourish as a human being? Through weekly meetings, retreats, and international service experiences, students explore this question from the inside out, starting with themselves and expanding outward into community and the world.
By the end of the year, students don't just have new knowledge, they have a new relationship with themselves, a deeper connection to their community, and a clearer sense of the kind of person they want to be in the world.
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✨NYC PILOT
YEAR ✨
10 weekly
Sessions
Start March 2026
3-Week
Trip to India
July 2026
Program Structure
Students meet weekly for 90-minute sessions blending mindfulness, reflection, and experiential learning. Throughout the year, community engagement opportunities bring the program's values to life locally through service projects, environmental work, and real-world connection.
The year culminates in an optional international trip to either India or South Africa, where students take everything they've explored inward and bring it out into the world in a profound and lasting way.
Cost
Flourish NYC is a nonprofit organization committed to making transformational experiences accessible to every young person, regardless of financial circumstance. The Compassionate Leaders Program is completely free to join. No fees, no barriers.
That said, this work is made possible by the generosity of people who believe in it. If you're in a position to give, a donation of any size goes directly toward sustaining and growing the program for future students.
We all take shape
We believe in doing things differently—with intention, with passion, and with people at the center of it all. Every detail here reflects that mindset.
We all
Take Shape
Meet Amy Aranda
From our Students
"I've learned to use meditation to keep me calm for the first time maybe ever, my emotional self is catching up with my intellectual self, and I feel safe and excited for what's to come."
— Oscar, Hailey Idaho 2025“This program, which connects students like me, fosters an environment where we realize we are not alone in our struggles, and more importantly, where we feel heard, supported, and loved. It has given me a renewed sense of belonging teaching me how to embrace my vulnerabilities while growing stronger through them.”
— Maggie, Hailey Idaho 2024“The world we see and create is the world we live in, and Flourish, I think, teaches people to create a world worth living in.”
— Ben, Hailey Idaho 2019● Contact
Request Information
Thinking about enrolling? Curious which program might be the right fit? Or maybe you’d like to stroll the campgrounds and see the magic in person. Whatever you’re looking for, we’re here to help.