Our Mission + Story

We believe in the power of teens to impact their communities, one meaningful connection at a time.

We believe in teens’ capacity to discover who they are, what they believe, and their ability to bring light and love to the world.

Valo's mission is to cultivate emotional wellbeing in Maine youth.

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Using an evidence-based approach, the Valo model was honed through years of working with young people in the weekend program. In taking an innovative, proactive, approach Valo meets young people where they are and uses the power of group conversation to bolster emotional wellbeing.

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Valo's programs began in 2013 with a group of eight teens. Their transformative experience shaped key components of our programming such as the importance of spending time unplugged and creating long-term connections with peers from different backgrounds. Valo has served a diverse cross-section of more than 1,500 youth across Maine.

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Valo is funded by 2000+ generous individuals, businesses, and grantmakers.