Because we are always learning
Rise: Boomerang’s in-school, cohort-style, social emotional learning program
Serving students in school and impacting the greater school community
Every young person deserves the opportunity to understand themselves, build healthy relationships, and feel confident in the choices they make.
RISE is Boomerang Youth’s social-emotional learning (SEL) program designed to help middle and high school students build the skills, confidence, and self-awareness they need to navigate school, relationships, and life.
Through engaging, supportive group sessions, RISE creates space for young people to explore who they are, identify their values, understand their emotions, build healthy boundaries, and develop the tools they need to make decisions that are in their best interest.
What began as a successful pilot has grown into one of Boomerang Youth’s core programs, reaching students through partnerships with local schools and youth-serving organizations.
RISE
R - REACH
I - INSPIRE
S - SUPPORT
E - EMPOWER
RISE stands for Reach, Inspire, Support and Empower—four principles that guide how we work with young people.
Our goal isn't to tell young people who they should be. It's to create a space where they can discover who they are and develop the skills to navigate the world with confidence.
RISE uses social-emotional learning to help students:
Develop greater self-awareness and confidence
Identify and understand their personal values
Recognize and express their emotions in healthy ways
Build healthy relationships with peers and adults
Understand and maintain healthy boundaries
Strengthen decision-making and problem-solving skills
Develop strategies for managing challenges and conflict
Practice self-care and self-advocacy
Build resilience and confidence in their ability to navigate difficult situations
What Does RISE Look Like?
RISE is delivered through interactive, small-group sessions where students can learn, reflect, talk openly, and practice new skills in a supportive environment.
Sessions are designed to be relevant, engaging, and developmentally appropriate, giving students opportunities to connect the skills they are learning to their everyday lives.
Rather than simply teaching students what to do, RISE encourages them to ask questions, consider different perspectives, reflect on their experiences, and make connections between their choices, values, relationships, and goals.
The RISE Experience
Throughout the program, students have opportunities to explore topics such as:
Self-Awareness
Understanding who they are, what they value, and what influences their thoughts, feelings, and decisions.
Healthy Relationships
Recognizing what healthy and unhealthy relationships look like and learning how to communicate effectively with others.
Boundaries & Values
Understanding personal boundaries and learning how to make choices that align with their values.
Decision-Making
Building confidence in evaluating situations, considering consequences, and making decisions that support their well-being.
Emotional Regulation
Developing tools to recognize, understand, and manage emotions in healthy and constructive ways.
Resilience
Learning how to navigate challenges, setbacks, and difficult experiences while developing confidence in their ability to move forward.
Building Stronger Young People. Building Stronger Communities.
When young people have the opportunity to understand themselves, build healthy relationships, and develop confidence in their decisions, the impact reaches far beyond the individual student.
RISE helps schools create environments where students feel supported, connected, and equipped with skills that can strengthen their relationships, improve their ability to navigate challenges, and contribute to healthier school communities.
Through RISE, Boomerang Youth partners with schools and youth-serving organizations to bring social-emotional learning directly to the young people who need it most.
Ready to Bring RISE to Your School?
We believe every young person deserves a space to Reach, Inspire, Support, and Empower themselves and others.
If you're a school, educator, community organization, or youth-serving professional interested in learning more about RISE, we'd love to connect.
Students had an increased sense of their personal values after participating in the SEL group for one month, as well as more confidence in how to make decisions that are in their best interest.
Where RISE Began
RISE began as a pilot program during the 2023–2024 academic year with a Chapel Hill middle school. After seeing students develop greater confidence, self-awareness, and understanding of healthy relationships, Boomerang Youth expanded RISE into a core program. Today, RISE continues to grow through partnerships with schools and youth-serving organizations across our community.