Meet Tyler Bjork, our season 2 storyteller for the I Know Lonely Project this month. Understanding the deep hurt that comes from bullying and feeling unseen, Tyler shares his story of loneliness. His story explains how where we feel seen, where we feel accepted and where we feel belonging are often the places we can be the most authentic. For him, that was spaces like theatre, choir, and performing arts and getting involved in Special Olympics. Connection thrives in spaces where we know we belong and Tyler’s story is an inspiring reminder to pursue places of belonging by showing up authentically.

This is his story.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

SHOWNOTES & RESOURCES

Connect with Tyler: Instagram

Recommended Resources:

Build Empathy through the Connection Curriculum: The I Know Lonely Project started as a piece of our youth program, the Connection Curriculum with the goal to help students build empathy for stories that might be different than their own. Empathy is the key to deeper connections and a core piece of our work. You can access discussion questions for each story in the project by purchasing the Connection Curriculum here!

Special Olympics: Get involved and find a community of belonging through Special Olympics. Special Olympics offers many ways to take part, whether you want to be an athlete, Unified partner, coach, or volunteer—connect with your local program for more details.

StopBullying.gov: Parents, school staff, and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about bullying, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategies. Visit StopBullying.gov for more resources!

The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ young people. They offer information & support to LGBTQ young people 24/7, all year round.