About Us

Hey U.G.L.Y. exists for the sole purpose of helping tweens and teens discover their inner uniqueness, beauty and gifts to help them counter challenges such as bullying, eating disorders, violence, substance abuse, delinquency and suicide. We do this through seven initiatives:

1.  The HeyUGLY.org website

2.   Our eM-POWERment Self-Esteem and Diversity-Building in-school 16-week Curriculum which is FREE to schools and has been receiving rave reviews from educators.

3.  eM-POWERment Day presentations at school assemblies with separate sessions for teachers and parents. After a recent presentation to middle-school and Jr.-high school students:
93% now recognize when they are having negative judgments against themselves and others
83% state they learned how to cancel out negative judgments and replace them with positive thoughts
58% indicate that no one has bullied them since our presentation

4.  Hey U G L Y's CHOOSE TO CHANGE Radio Show which features songs that nurture positive self-esteem and promote diversity, perseverance, peace and a healthy planet.

5.  CONTESTS: Acronym contest where we ask tweens & teens to come up with positive acronyms for negative words like DORK, STUPID or LOSER. Essay contest where we ask teens to write why it's important to have good self-esteem.

6.  HUE-MAN BEING Art Project(tm) which is a diversity-driven program to impress upon students, and illuminate to adults that we are all brothers and sisters simply "hued" variously.

7.  Self-esteem and diversity-building marketing initiatives.

Some Facts

Low self-esteem is a critical issue facing tweens & teens today. It has been proven that low self-esteem affects learning and can lead to such problems as delinquency, unhealthy relationships, eating disorders, violence, drug abuse and suicide.

●  Eating Disorders: In the United States, conservative estimates indicate that, after puberty, 5-10 million girls and women and 1 million boys and men are struggling with eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or borderline conditions. Source: National Eating Disorders Association
●  Anorexia: 33% of respondents reported the onset of their illness between the ages of 11-15 and 43% reported the onset between the ages of 16-20. Source:  ANAD (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)

●  Obesity: A 2003 survey reported 13.5 percent of high school students as obese. Overall obesity reported in high school boys was 17.3 percent, nearly double that of girls, which was 9.4 percent.

●  Suicide: Youth suicide rates have tripled since 1970. Source: Teenagesuicide.com Suicide is becoming more common every year in the United States. In fact, only car accidents and homicides (murders) kill more people between the ages of 15 and 24, making suicide the third leading cause of death in teens and overall in youths ages 10 to 19 years old. Source: Kidshealth.com February 2005

●  Bullying:  Approximately 864,000 teens report staying home one day a month because they fear for their safety. Source: CDC   According to recent studies, between 20-40% of U.S. teenagers report being bullied three or more times during the past year. Between 7-15% report bullying others three or more times during the past year. With one in three teens affected, bullying is considered a major problem today. Source: Author: Angela Huebner, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Human Development and Erin Morgan, Research Associate, Human Development; Virginia Tech. Publication Number 350-852, Posted April 2002.

●  Drop Out Rate: According to most estimates, today's teenagers are dropping out of high school at an alarmingly high rate -- about 30 percent, a statistic that researchers say is very close to what it was in the 1970s, when the educational reform movement was getting under way.
That's across the board -- big city or small town, urban or rural district. And researchers say that among African-Americans and Latinos, the numbers are as high as 50 percent. Indianapolis Star Tribune

Teens are in dire need of a safe environment to learn how to respect and value themselves as unique gifted and lovable youth. Hey U.G.L.Y. is meeting that demand. 

Why The Name UGLY?

We choose the name "ugly" because it is one of the most negative, words in our vocabulary.  It is a word that tweens & teens use to describe others, and most significantly, themselves. When they label themselves ugly or call a fellow student ugly they are unleashing a powerful force of negative energy. When tweens & teens see the conversion of ugly to Unique Gifted Lovable You, they start calling each other, and themselves, ugly with a whole new perspective. The negativity is gone and in its stead is empowerment.  Recognizing the value of teaching the concept of "turning negatives into positives," Hey U G L Y  developed our annual acronym contests, asking teens to take words like Dork, Stupid or Loser turn them into positives. One contest winner converted "Geek" into Gifted Enchanted Educated Kid.  A teen in Texas converted "Loser" into Love Others Show Everyone Respect.

Low self-esteem in tweens & teens is a veritable epidemic in our nation. Since the 1960s, psychologists and educators have recognized the powerful influence of self-esteem on short-term well-being and long-term success of American youth.

 

History

Hey U.G.L.Y. was founded in 2002 in response to the daily headlines describing the increase in teen suicide, gun violence in schools, bullying, drug abuse, eating disorders,  and the obesity epidemic facing American youth. In 2004 Hey U G L Y, Inc. became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 

Board of Directors

Board of Advisors