MWAH! – Messages Which Are Hopeful!
The social work-based MWAH! program (Messages Which Are Hopeful!) is a catalyst for assisting schools and their surrounding communities in a collaborative effort to empower young people with the knowledge, courage, and strength to deal with life's personal challenges, thereby changing and saving lives. A key concept in this effort is a 'three-point shot' – awareness of a problem, seeking help to resolve it, and then getting whatever help is needed. This collaborative process may include an issues-oriented school presentation highlighting the helping process in place at the school. Also included as part of this process is a data tracking system showing that whatever help is needed by students is received.
More than 35 years of issues-oriented school presentations throughout Illinois and various other states for audiences totaling more than half a million students and staff.
MWAH! troupe members Jon Chambers–Green, Taylor Oechsel, and Lindsay Kent joined Andrew Forbes of the 2016 Quad Cities Youth Conference in an appearance February 24, 2016 on the Paula Sands Live television show from the KWQC–TV (NBC) studio in Davenport, Iowa. Please click Here to see it. . The MWAH! troupe was the Keynote presenter both days of the conference at the River Center in Davenport – middle school–age students from throughout the Quad Cities area the first day and high school students the second day.