Assemblies/Presentations

Due to my limited time for personal appearances but my desire to continue reach every student and parent with Ryan's story, I have produced DVDs of my student and parent presentations. You can learn more about them at Safe Passage Media. However, if you still wish to have me come to your school, please contact me at johnhalligan@inbox.com.

Thanks to Judy Breitmeyer's encouragement (a guidance counselor from Mount Mansfield Union High School at the time), I began giving school assembly speeches for students and presentations for parents during the early part of 2005.  Mount Mansfield Union High School was the very first school to invite me to be the key note speaker for their "Respect Day." 

The response from the students was overwhelming. I continued to receive e-mails many months later from students from this school and every other school I've been to ever since. Most tell me that Ryan's story changed their life for the better. Many shared that they have apologized to the people they tormented since middle school. Many others said they gained the courage and strength to get help for a friend or themselves for depression and suicide ideation.

The hole in our hearts has been filled by the countless thoughtful letters we received from so many caring young people. They helped us gain a better understanding of what it is like to be a teenager in today's world ... one far different than thirty years ago. These assembly experiences have demonstrated to me that this generation is far more thoughtful, compassionate and spiritual than one might assume with all of the materialistic distractions in their lives.  

 

School/Community visits

2004/2005 School Year

• Mount Mansfield Union High School grades 9-12
• Milton Jr and Sr High School grades 7-12

2005/2006 School Year

• South Royalton grades 7-12
• Colchester Middle School grades 6-8
• Dover Plains Jr/Sr HS NY grades 7-12
• Westford grades 7-8
• Fairhaven High School grades 9-12
• Vergennes Middle School & High School grades 7-12
• Bellows Free Academy - St Albans grades 9-12
• Otter Valley Middle School grades 7-8
• Browns River Middle School grades 6-8
• Lamoille Union Middle School grades 7-8
• Lamoille Union High School grade 9 
• Camel’s Hump Middle School grades 7-8
• Melrose Middle School , MA grades 6-7
• Millbrook , NY grades 7-8
• Enosburg Falls Middle School grades 6-8
• St. Johnsbury School grades 5-8
• Lyndon Town School grades 6-8
• St. Albans Educational Center grades 7-8
• Barre Town School grades 6-8
• Spaulding High School grades 9-11
• Rice High School grades 9-12
• Mill River School grades 6-8
• Barstow Memorial grades 7-8
• Mount Abraham High School grades 7-12
• Missisquoi Valley Union School grades 6-12
• Alburgh Educational Center grades 6-8
• Williston Central School (Voyager Team grades 5-8)
• Middlebury Union Middle School grades 7-8 
• Bakersfield grades 6-8
• Danville School grades 6-8
• St. Francis Xavier School in Winooski grades 6-8
• Williamstown High School grades 9-10
• Charlotte grade 6
• Bellows Falls High School grades 9-12
• Williamstown Middle School grades 7-8 
• Williston Central School grade 5-8 teams 
• Grand Isle School grades 6-8
• Georgia Middle School grades 7-8 

Summer 2006:

• Key Note Speaker at the 2006 Virginia School Safety Conference August 9 Hampton, VA

2006/2007 School Year

• VT South West Supervisory Union In-service Aug 28
• Mount Anthony Union High School Bennington VT grade 9 Sept 8
• Summit Middle School, Frisco CO Sept 24
• Summit High School, Frisco CO Sept 24
• Centauri Middle School, La Jara CO Sept 25
• Ortega Middle School, Alamosa, CO Sept 25
• Centennial Middle School, San Luis CO Sept 26
• Key note speaker at Colorado Youth Assets Regional Meeting in Alamosa Sept 26
• Brush High School, Brush CO Sept 27
• Brush Middle School, Brush CO Sept 27
• Key note speaker at Colorado Foundation's Regional Meeting in Denver Sept 28
• St. Francis Xavier School Winooski Oct 4
• Berlin Middle/High School, Berlin NY Oct 12
• The Gailor School. Middlebury VT Oct 17 (plus evening presentation for parents)
• Stevens School Peacham VT Oct 19 (evening with parents/students)
• E.Montpelier Community Connections U32 HS Parent Workshop 6:30pm Oct 24
• Stowe Middle School, VT Oct 27
• Rice High School, South Burlington VT grade 9 Oct 30
• Browns River Middle School parent presentation Nov 1 - 7pm School Library
• Browns River Middle School grade 6 Nov 2
• Cabot School, VT Nov 6
• Williston Central School, VT Nov 9
• NY State Commission of Investigation Public Hearing, NYC Nov 16
• Bellows Falls Middle School VT Nov 20
• Manchester Middle School , VT Nov 27
• King George School Sutton, VT Nov 29
• Harwood Middle and High School VT Dec 4
• Enosburg Middle School grade 6 Dec 5
• BFA - New Beginnings grades 9-12 Dec 14
• West Rutland School District In-Service Jan 2
• Hinesburg Community School Jan 5
• Riverside Middle School Springfield VT Jan 8
• Windsor Middle School VT Jan 9
• Hardwood HS Evening Presentation for Parents Jan 22
• Northfield Community Presentation Jan 24
• Casey Family Services Presentation Winooski Jan 25
• Barre Presentation for Parents Jan 31
• Lakeview Middle School, MO Feb 5
• Montpelier Evening Presentation for Parents Feb 12
• Montpelier HS Grades 9-12 Feb 13
• Montpelier Middle School grades 6-8 Feb 13
• Hinesburg Community School Parent Presentation Feb 20
• St Albans City School grades 6-8 Feb 22
• Northfield High School March 9
• Twin Valley Middle School, Jacksonville, VT March 12
• Mettawee Community School/Long Trail School Mar 20
• Conte, MA Mar 21
• Hyde Park NY Mar 26
• Bullitt Central High School Kentucky March 29
• Hebron Middle School Kentucky March 29
• Bullitt East High School Kentucky March 30
• Eastside Middle School Kentucky March 30
• i-Jam Conference, Kentucky March 31
• Crosset Brook Middle School, VT April 5
• Barre City Middle School April 11
• Orange , VT April 11
• BFA Fairfax School, VT May 2
• Twinfield School, VT May 9
• U32, Barre VT May 22

School visits planned for 2007/2008 school year:

Scheduled:

• Alburgh Educational Center, VT May 12
• Bishop Guertin High School, Nashua, NH May 19

Completed:

• Dover Plains Middle School and High School, NY Oct 11
• Millbrook Middle School, NY Oct 10
• Webetuck Middle School, NY Oct 12
• Lamoille Middle School, VT
• Rutland Central School District, VT Nov 5
• Weybridge Elementary School, Parent Presentation Nov 5
• Middlebury Union Middle School, VT Nov 12
• Waldorf School, Shelburne, VT Students and Parents Nov 13
• White Mountains Regional High School, Whitefield NH, Nov 14
• Mater Christi, Burlington, VT - Parents Nov 18
• Mater Christi, Burlington, VT - Students Nov 19
• Oxbow Middle School/High School Bradford, VT November 26
• Winooski Middle School, VT December 3
• Enosburg High School, December 10
• Woodstock, VT January 10
• Lyndon Town School, VT Jan 14
• Lyndon Institute, VT Jan 14
• Vermont Commons School, VT Jan 28
• Prairie Junior HS, Alsip, IL Feb 4
• Milton Jr High School, VT February 11
• Berkshire Middle School, VT February 18
• New Hope, PA March 7
• Barre Town Middle School, March 10
• Project Soar St. Albans, March 17
• New Fairfield, CT March 24
• Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School, South Burlington VT Mar 31
• St. Albans Parent Presentation at SATEC April 3, 6pm
• Long Island Lutheran Middle/High School, Brookville, NY April 7
• Colchester Middle School , VT April 14
• Leland and Grey, Townsend, VT April 28
• Arlington Middle and High School, VT May 5