This summer, RIZE Prevention is excited to launch something truly special for students in our community — our first-ever Transformation Camp, designed specifically for 8th grade students preparing to enter high school.

The transition from middle school to high school is one of the most important milestones in a young person’s life. It’s a time filled with new opportunities, new responsibilities, and sometimes new pressures. Our goal is to help students enter this next chapter confident, equipped, and prepared to make healthy choices.

Taking place July 20 through July 23, 2026 at Camp Burnt Gin in Sumter, South Carolina, this four-day experience will provide students with tools, encouragement, and meaningful connections that will support them as they begin their high school journey.

Preparing Students for What Comes Next

RIZE Prevention created Transformation Camp to help students build the life skills they need to navigate high school successfully. Through interactive sessions, team activities, and mentorship opportunities, students will explore topics such as:

• Building confidence and leadership skills
• Making positive choices and resisting peer pressure
• Strengthening mental health and resilience
• Developing healthy friendships and support systems

The camp will also focus on empowering students to understand their value and the impact their decisions can have on their future.

A Unique Opportunity for Students Across South Carolina

This inaugural camp will host 40 students total, creating a close-knit and supportive environment for meaningful growth and connection.

• 30 spots will be available for students from the Upstate
• 10 spots will be reserved for students from Sumter Schools

By bringing students together from different communities, Transformation Camp will foster new friendships, fresh perspectives, and a shared commitment to positive choices.

A Life-Changing Experience

At RIZE Prevention, we believe that prevention starts with empowerment. When young people are given the right tools, guidance, and encouragement, they are better prepared to face challenges and build strong futures.

Transformation Camp is designed to do exactly that — to help students step into high school with confidence, purpose, and a deeper understanding of their potential.

Stay Tuned for Registration Details

Registration information will be announced soon, and space will be limited. Families and schools interested in learning more about Transformation Camp are encouraged to follow RIZE Prevention for updates.

We can’t wait to welcome our first group of students this summer and watch them grow into the leaders they are meant to be.

For more information or to connect with our team: rizeteam@rizeprevention.org

We’re excited to share an important milestone in the story of RIZE Prevention.

RIZE Prevention has officially relocated to a new office at 218 New Neely Ferry Rd., Mauldin, SC 29662 — a space generously donated by a local funeral home that shares our deep commitment to protecting young lives in the Upstate.

While this move represents a change in address, it’s much more than that. It’s a reflection of community partnership, shared purpose, and growing momentum around prevention and mental wellness.

When Community Steps Forward

This meaningful partnership was born out of shared heartbreak — and shared hope.

After witnessing an increasing number of services for young individuals lost to drug-related causes, a generous local funeral home felt called to take a proactive role in prevention. Rather than continuing to respond to tragedy, they wanted to help prevent it.

By donating office space to RIZE Prevention, they have given us more than walls and a roof. They’ve given us room to expand our reach, deepen our programs, and continue stepping upstream — addressing substance use before it begins.

As our Executive Director, Martine Helou-Allen, shared:

“This partnership represents what community care truly looks like. When organizations come together with a shared purpose, to protect young people and strengthen families, real change becomes possible. This space allows us to deepen our impact and continue stepping upstream to prevent addiction before it begins.”

Strengthening Prevention Efforts Across the Upstate

Our new Mauldin location will serve as a central hub for:

• Prevention programming
• School and community outreach
• Mental health education initiatives
• Collaboration with local partners and leaders

As an upstate-based public health nonprofit, RIZE Prevention exists to foster resilience, connection, and healthier decision-making among young people. Through our Recovery-Informed Prevention© model and school-based iRIZE program, we equip students with the tools and support systems they need to make confident, healthy life choices.

This new space gives us the capacity to grow these efforts by reaching more schools, more families, and more young people throughout the region.

More Than a Move. This is a Symbol of Momentum

We see this relocation as a symbol of something bigger happening in our community. Mental Health is the Root. Addiction is the Symptom. Prevention is the Cure.

When local organizations unite around a shared vision, one that prioritizes prevention, education, and hope, change becomes possible.

We are deeply grateful for this partnership and for every supporter who believes in the power of prevention. Together, we are building a future where fewer families face loss, and more young people are empowered to thrive.

Stay Connected

We look forward to welcoming partners, educators, and community members to our new space.

For more information or to connect with our team: rizeteam@rizeprevention.org

Interning with RIZE Prevention means more than building a résumé — it means becoming part of a movement that strengthens Greenville families, schools, and communities. If you’ve been searching for a youth mentoring internship in the Upstate or a public health nonprofit internship in Greenville, SC, RIZE has put together an opportunity that allows you to step upstream and be the reason a student chooses a better path.

About RIZE Prevention

RIZE Prevention is a Greenville, South Carolina–based public health nonprofit dedicated to helping young people rise above substance use and addiction before it ever begins. Guided by a research-driven model known as Recovery-Informed Prevention©, the organization partners with Upstate middle schools to address the real reasons teens turn to nicotine, THC, alcohol, opioids, and other drugs—especially isolation, peer pressure, and untreated mental-health struggles.

Through its flagship iRIZE prevention program, RIZE Prevention places caring, relatable mentors inside schools where students spend their most formative years. These mentors build trust-based relationships that empower adolescents to develop resilience, confidence, and practical coping skills. Local educators report reductions in vaping and behavioral issues alongside improvements in school culture—proof that connection is the strongest protective factor for South Carolina youth.

Now, RIZE Prevention is inviting college students to join that mission through a meaningful internship in Greenville, South Carolina.

The dynamic role works directly with Upstate middle school students to form positive mentor relationships and deliver evidence-based youth substance-use prevention guidance using the RIZE Prevention model.

Who Should Apply

The ideal candidate is:

• A college student or recent graduate ages 20–29
• Empathetic, inspirational, and relatable to today’s youth
• Passionate about creating a safe and supportive environment in Greenville schools
• Interested in public health, counseling, education, social work, ministry, or nonprofit leadership
• Comfortable with mentorship; public speaking skills are a bonus

Skills You’ll Gain

• Adolescent mentoring and life-coaching techniques
• Evidence-based drug and fentanyl prevention education
• Classroom management and communication
• Nonprofit program delivery in the Upstate
• Professional public speaking confidence

What You’ll Do

• Engage Greenville middle school adolescents in small group prevention sessions
• Build authentic, supportive mentorship connections with hundreds of students
• Provide coaching on making healthy, addiction-free choices with focus on drug prevention
• Support schools within their MTSS framework through early intervention
• Participate in public speaking presentations

iRIZE Program Student Liaison intern. This dynamic internship as an iRIZE Program Student Liaison will work directly with Upstate middle school students to form positive mentor relationships and deliver evidence-based youth substance-use prevention guidance using the RIZE Prevention model. Be a part of the movement today! 

Interested in Applying?
Visit www.rizeprevention.org or contact the RIZE Prevention office in Greenville at (864) 406-9446 for internship application details.

Every recovery story carries hope, strength, and a lesson learned the hard way. But what if your story could shape the next generation—and keep a teen from ever falling into addiction in the first place?

This month, RIZE Prevention is launching “My Recovery Is Their Prevention,” a campaign dedicated to turning the pain of the past into the prevention of the future.

Your story matters more than you think.

Teens often don’t respond to lectures. They respond to real stories—real consequences, real change, and real people who have walked through the fire and come out stronger.

When someone in recovery shares their experience, a teen hears: “This could be me someday… unless I make a different choice.”

How the campaign works

RIZE Prevention is collecting stories from individuals throughout the state. Anyone in recovery—no matter how long—can submit their story by emailing: rizeteam@rizeprevention.org

Stories will be shared throughout the year to inspire teens and to highlight the power of choosing a drug-free path.

Become a sponsor, become a lifeline

Through this campaign, RIZE is encouraging every person in recovery to sponsor a child in RIZE programs. By contributing just five dollars a month, these donations will go towards prevention education, emotional well-being support, and resiliency training, you’re ensuring a teen has the tools you may not have had.

Your recovery can change everything

If you’ve overcome addiction, your voice is exactly what young people need to hear. Your courage can change someone’s future.

Share your story today: rizeteam@rizeprevention.org
Learn more at rizeprevention.org