Bring MTS to your city
Bring Motivating the Teen Spirit to your city.
Two days in the room with teens ages 13 to 25, ending in a graduation their families attend. For 28 years, Lisa Nichols and the MTS team have helped teens name what they feel, say it clearly and choose their next step. We come wherever a city brings three things together.
What makes a city ready
A venue, the teens and a budget.
It does not matter who brings them. A principal, a pastor, a youth program, a business owner or a group of parents can each bring one piece, and together they make a stop.
A venue
A room with space to move, seating for every teen and adult, basic sound and a projector, and a place to host the graduation.
The teens
At least 20 teens ages 13 to 25, invited by people they already trust: schools, churches, youth programs and families. The price stays the same as the room fills, so fill it.
A budget
Raised from a school budget, a grant, local sponsors, donors or a church. Many hosts bring it together from several sources, and we can help you plan it.
A budget can cover a lot. Nothing replaces teens in the room.
Wherever you are starting
You do not need all three to apply.
Tell us what you have. We help you find the rest.
| A venue and the teens already | A school, church youth group or youth organization that already serves teens. We move straight to a call and a quote. |
| A budget, no venue or teens yet | We connect you with a local host who has the room and the teens, and you join the stop as its sponsor. |
| A venue, no teens yet | We introduce you to nearby schools, faith organizations and youth programs that can invite teens. |
| The teens, no venue yet | We help you find a venue partner and connect you with sponsors who want MTS in your city. |
| Not ready yet | We walk you through how hosts raise the budget locally, and your application stays open until you are ready. |
| Ready to cover the full cost | You skip the fundraising path. The teens are still yours to bring. |
Programs
Choose one, two or three days.
One teaching day, 6 hours. Teens practice naming what they feel, communicating clearly and choosing in line with their values.
Two teaching days, 12 hours in all, with the graduation built in. Parents and guardians attend the graduation and hear from their teens directly.
The 2-Day Session plus a Legacy Day. By day, 8 to 12 graduates train as Peer Ambassadors who carry the safe space back into their school, church or program, with monthly check-ins from MTS for a semester. At night, a community gala celebrates the graduates and the people who brought MTS to town.
Available on request for any program, based on Lisa’s availability.
The price stays the same from 20 teens to 200. Travel is quoted as one fixed amount before anything is signed. We send a full quote after a call about your city, your dates and your format.
The path
From an application to a full room.
Apply
About ten minutes. Jelani reviews every application and replies within four business days.
Call and quote
We talk through your city and your teens, choose the format, and send a quote with travel fixed.
Lock the date
At least four months out: a signed agreement, a 50% deposit with travel, and your venue and team details.
Fill the room
Your city gets its own page showing teens registered. Three weeks out, we confirm at least 20 teens and the balance is due.
Who brings what
You bring the city. We bring the room to life.
The host provides
- The venue, with sound and a projector
- Food for teens and adults
- An on-site coordinator
- Adult volunteers, one for every 8 teens
- At least 20 teens, plus invitations to nearby schools, churches and youth programs
- Standard paperwork: certificate of insurance and background checks where your venue requires them
MTS provides
- The facilitators and the full curriculum
- The graduation, programs and certificates
- A free registration page for your teens
- Co-branded flyers and a press release
- Letters and consent forms for parents and guardians
- Training and clearance for every adult volunteer
Safety and standards
Built for rooms full of young people.
- Teens and families attend free. Participation is voluntary, and a teen can skip any activity or step out to talk with an adult on our team.
- The limits of confidentiality are read aloud at the start of every session, in plain language.
- Every adult on site is cleared before the first session.
- No adult is ever alone with a teen out of sight of others.
- Parents and guardians give written consent for every teen under 18.
- End-of-session surveys are anonymous and reported in aggregate only.
Apply to host
Tell us what your city has.
Jelani replies within four business days with next steps for your city. Applying is free and commits you to nothing.
Rather talk first? Book a callQuestions
Before you apply.
How far ahead do we need to book?
At least four months before the event, so there is time to invite teens and line up the venue. A shorter timeline is possible when the full cost is paid upfront.
Do teens or families pay anything?
No. Teens and their families attend free, and hosts agree not to charge teens to register.
What happens if we do not reach 20 teens?
Three weeks before the event, we check sign-ups together. If fewer than 20 teens are registered, the stop is cancelled, half of the deposit comes back to you and no balance is owed. Travel already purchased is not refundable.
Can a donor, business or group of parents host?
Yes. Anyone can apply. If you bring the budget, we can pair you with a local school, church or youth program that brings the room and the teens.
Who do we pay?
Agreements and invoices come from Empowering the Human Spirit Foundation, the nonprofit home of Motivating the Teen Spirit.
What if our city is not ready yet?
Add your city to the list below. When enough people in one city ask, we reach out to them together about what it would take.
Not ready to host?
Add your city to the list.
Parents, teens, educators and neighbors: tell us where you want MTS next. No commitment.