Teens Activating the Language of Kindness (TALK) is more than just a catchy name for an event.
The OH club Believe It Or Not I Care (BIONIC) puts on the TALK event twice a school year in efforts to connect high school students in a meaningful, supportive community that values communication, understanding, and kindness.
Wendy Monn, BIONIC advisor and OH health teacher said, “[It’s great] just watching people not be on electronics and communicating, and just having a great time, having fun.”
For Monn, one of the organizers of TALK, this simple moment captures the heart of a program that’s quietly reshaping how teens interact at OH and beyond.
“It’s about teens communicating with teens in a fun way, and meeting new people,” Monn said.
Instead of focusing on traditional academics or extracurriculars, TALK brings students from all grades together for a day, simply getting to know each other. Through icebreakers, group discussions, and shared activities, students are encouraged to engage in real conversations.
Over the years, Monn has observed that TALK students understand where others are coming from, whether it’s a peer who might be struggling or someone with a different background.
TALK’s popularity is reflected in the numbers. On average, about 150 to 200 students are invited, with some years seeing up to 400 students from OH alone.
“We randomly select people, so usually, on average, per TALK program, we have about 150 to 200 students,” Monn said. “Older students who have previously participated are the ones who help run the program and welcome each new group.”
Participation has shifted since COVID-19. “I think after COVID, it’s flipped, and I think we get more freshmen than anything every single year that join it,” Monn said.
Freshmen often join, participate in related programs, and return as mentors.
“If I were to say which was the biggest right now, I think it’s, as invitees, more freshmen come, and they’ll want to come in as seniors,” OH senior Danny Claycombe and BIONIC Board member said. “There are a lot of freshmen and sophomores, but all grades participate, and there’s always a good amount of seniors and juniors as well.”
For many, the best part of TALK is the chance to build new friendships and learn about students from our sister school OE, which sometimes participates alongside OH students.
“It’s really fun to learn about their school and what they do there, and the differences and similarities that we have at each other’s schools,” said OH senior and BIONIC board member Reagan Ziccardi.
At its core, TALK offers something increasingly rare in the digital age: a chance for teens to connect face-to-face, discover new perspectives, and lay the foundation for a more understanding school community.
