GINGER KATZ
CEO and Founder, The Courage to Speak® Foundation, Inc.
Mission: Saving lives by empowering youth to be drug-free and encouraging parents to communicate effectively with their children about the dangers of drugs.
Founded in 1996 shortly after Ginger and Larry Katz lost their son, Ian, to a drug overdose. They are dedicated to fulfilling a promise Ginger made to Ian to do everything in her power to prevent this tragedy from happening to another family.
Core Activities: Educational presentations, proprietary school-based programs/curriculum delivering social-emotional skill building lessons to increase youth's ability to live healthy lives, parenting programs/curriculum, books and videos that empower students and their parents to break through the silence and denial surrounding substance use to honestly communicate about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs.
Major Accomplishments
- Delivered approximately 1000 prevention presentations nationwide to schools (elementary through college), civic organizations, law enforcement forums, medical forums, provider and prevention organizations, corporations, conventions, conferences and other forums throughout the country.
- Developed the Courage to Speak Drug Prevention Curriculum for High Schools. Fourteen lesson curriculum taught by health class teachers. This program was developed by a team of experts in prevention and curriculum development and has the option to use Sunny’s Story. Including new lessons on marijuana and vaping.
- Developed the Courage to Speak Drug Prevention Curriculum for Middle Schools. Sixteen lesson curriculum plus two booster lessons taught by health class teachers and language art teachers and has the option to use Sunny’s Story. This program was developed by a team of experts in prevention and curriculum development. Including new lessons on marijuana and vaping.
- Developed the Courage to Speak Prevention Curriculum based on Sunny’s Story for Elementary Schools. Taught by language art and health teachers for Grades 4-6. This program was developed by a team of experts in prevention and curriculum development.
- Developed the Courage to Speak Drug Prevention Education based on Sunny’s Story for After School Programs – Accompanied by Sunny’s Story for students in Grades 4-6. Adapted from the Courage to Speak Drug Prevention Curriculum for Elementary Schools. Four Sessions.
- Developed the Courage to Speak Drug Prevention Parenting Curriculum Courage to Speak - Courageous Parenting 101®: A multi-session course implemented by Courage to Speak Foundation trained facilitators as a follow up to the Courage to Speak Presentation and or video. To date, over 151 instructors have been trained to teach this course in English and Spanish. This program was developed by a team of experts in prevention. Offered free to parents.
- Developed a single session program for parents, Courage to Speak Courageous Parenting 101, "Parenting Through the Opioid Crisis" program, delivered by Ginger Katz and a trained facilitator in the field of substance abuse, helping parents navigate through the opioid crisis. Also known as a “Double Dose of Prevention™
- Adapted the Courage to Speak Courageous Parenting 101, "Parenting Through the Opioid Crisis" program to an Online Parent Training Module, accessible from anywhere at any time from the Courage to Speak website, couragetospeak.org. Parents will have the ability to login to our platform and complete a skills-based training on their own schedule. Through video lessons, informative presentations, handouts and interactive activities, parents learn the knowledge and skills they need to keep their children safe.
- Authored Children’s and Parenting Book, called Sunny’s Story, A Drug Prevention Book - a compelling story for children, teenagers, parents, grandparents, educators and more. It tells of joyful times and of sad times and of how a dog’s best friend was needlessly lost to drugs. Narrated by the family beagle who tried to wake Ginger up the night Ian died. It is read at dinner tables across the country and as a stand-alone book in many schools.
- Authored Story: A Mother’s Promise to her Son, in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Find Your Inner Strength.
- Authored Story: A Mother’s Promise to her Son, in Simply Happy: A Crash Course in Chicken Soup for the Soul Advice and Wisdom
- Launched website, couragetospeak.org. Information clearinghouse
- Created the Courage to Speak Support Group. A lifeline for parents who have lost children to substance abuse). Established in 2009, a support group for family members who have young and adult children that are using drugs.
- The Courage to Speak Empowering Youth to Be Drug-Free Family Night 2005–2019. Exciting event involving all aspects of the community. Parents, children community leaders, state and local officials, law enforcement, clergy, businessmen and women to engage the home, school and community and join together to make a stand to empower youth to be drug free. Featuring the work of the students who participate in The Courage to Speak Drug Prevention Curriculum (grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and high school students volunteer).
- Coordinated "The Courage to Speak All Star Basketball Classic”. Community sporting event shown on local and national television.
For more information or to learn more about our programs for your community, please call 203-831-9700 or email gkatz@couragetospeak.org