Hearth Stories
The Story of Hearth
The desire for a program like Hearth began when I was 13. A few of my wilderness mentors had started powerful rites of passage programs for boys, but there was no similar offering for girls like me. I watched the boys in my friend group go into the woods with their mentors and come back changed – they held themselves taller, interacted with each other in a way that only a powerful shared experience can provide, and seemed to have made huge leaps in maturity and self- confidence. I watched this transformation in them, and was left feeling empty and wondering “Where is that kind of support for me?”
The girls around me felt the same way. Some of them were even desperate enough to go to the men of the community and ask them to hold a Rite of Passage for girls. Over the years there were valiant attempts to provide something for the young women. The problem was, it was always the parents who saw this need and tried to fill it. And because a core element of a Rite of Passage for teens is the separation from parents, it failed each time. It takes women from outside the immediate family to hold a Rite of Passage.
Throughout my teens, I saw this need but knew I was too young to create a response. When I was 19, I was able to have my own rite of passage experience with Martin Shaw in the UK and felt firsthand the power of this transformational experience. Even though I still felt too young to be the one answering the call, I started to consider it more seriously. I went to my closest mentor and asked for his advice. He told me two things that made Hearth possible:
1. If you are able to hear the call or see the need, it’s your responsibility to answer it.
2. You aren’t old enough to run this. Reach out to older women and get support around you.
So that’s what I did. I answered the call and asked other women to answer it with me. The first few years of Hearth had slim support. We had a few women who were steadfast in their support of us, but for the most part we had little to no resources. We were trying to create a program that nobody really understood. The concept of a Rite of Passage has dwindled in our culture, and as such it was hard to get others to see what we were trying to accomplish. However, as the first set of young women passed through their Hearth journey, our vision became not just a dream, but a reality. The change in the girls was palpable, as too were the changes seen and felt by the Guides, Elders, and Aunts. Hearth wasn’t just transforming the girls who walked its path, it was affecting everyone who touched it. Now it is a program with plentiful support and a wide, robust community.
I am proud of each young woman who steps through Hearth: for their bravery at saying “yes,” their willingness to grow, and the clarity in themselves as they emerge through the Rites. I am also endlessly grateful to each person who has supported Hearth over the years, and each person’s contribution which has transformed Hearth from a tiny, struggling program desperate for support, into a program that is self-sustaining and community held. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work steadfastly with my community to create this powerful program for girls. Current and future generations of teens desperately need programs like Hearth, to guide and support them as they journey towards adulthood.
-Grace Martenson
Testimonials
The Hearth team provides communal, cultural experiences that help ease the transition from girlhood to adulthood, and equips girls with the confidence, knowledge, and skills necessary for successful futures. Learn more about our programs through the eyes of our participants:
Submit Your Story
Do you have an encouraging story you’d like to share with other girls about your time with Hearth?
We love to hear from current and former participants about their experiences with our programs.
