The FORT
Hangout.
A welcoming space where teens build friendships, share experiences, and receive support through guided conversation and community.
Where Teens Can Be Themselves.
The FORT Hangout is a welcoming space for middle and high school students ages 12–18 to connect, share experiences, and feel valued and supported by a community of peers, led by caring adults who understand what it is like to be a teen today.
Nearly all young people carry stress, loneliness, social pressures, and uncertainty, but many feel like they have nowhere to talk about it. Through guided conversations, peer interaction, and fun activities, teens discover they are not alone in what they are experiencing. Hearing from others facing similar challenges can reduce feelings of isolation, build confidence, and create a sense of belonging.
Led by a trained mental health professional, each session provides a safe, low-pressure environment where teens can build friendships, gain perspective, and be themselves.
Who Is This For
Connection Beyond the School Day.
While many teens are surrounded by people every day, they often lack opportunities for genuine conversation and meaningful peer support in a judgment free environment.
The FORT Hangout provides a consistent place where teens can build trust, strengthen friendships, and feel accepted and valued for being their authentic selves. The Hangout is especially valuable for teens who:
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Are navigating stress, anxiety, or social pressures
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Want opportunities to build friendships
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Feel isolated or disconnected from others
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Would benefit from ongoing peer support
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Prefer informal conversation over structured programs
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Are looking for a safe place to unwind and connect
The Three Biggest Outcomes
The Benefits of Ongoing Connection.
Something powerful happens when teens know there is a place where they can return to regularly, with people who accept them as they are and who are genuinely glad to see them.
Meaningful Friendships:
Teens develop trusted peer relationships that reduce feelings of isolation and create a stronger sense of community.
Greater Confidence & Self-Expression:
A supportive environment helps teens become more comfortable sharing thoughts, expressing feelings, and speaking up.
Stronger Emotional Awareness:
Through conversation and reflection, teens learn healthy ways to identify and understand emotions, navigate challenges, and support themselves and others.
Choose The Right Fit.
Weekly 1 hr Series:
Best for: Teens seeking consistent connection over several weeks through a small-group experience.
The Focus: Building trust and comfort through meaningful conversation over four or six weekly one-hour sessions.
Social 2 hr Sessions:
Best for: Teens looking for a relaxed social outlet at the end of the week.
The Focus: A mix of conversation, games, activities, and peer interaction where participation is always encouraged but never required.
Upcoming dates:
The FORT Hangout (For Boys)
Continuation of this six-week program designed for 9th and 10th grade boys. Each week builds on the skills…
The FORT Hangout
Social 2hr session. Getting In The Spirit: Join us to workshop ideas and plans for Halloween, play some…
The Program Leaders
Meet Our Program Leader.
Abby Ridge-Anderson, Ph.D.
Program Manager
Hello! I’m Abby, and I’m so glad you’ve discovered our FORT Hangout program! I am a developmental psychologist and I’ve been a program manager with Ryan Bartel Foundation since September 2025. My number one priority when working with teens is to create a space where they feel safe, seen, and valued. I believe that when young people feel safe, they are more willing to try new things, learn coping skills, and build trusting relationships.
The FORT Hangout gives teens a safe, judgment-free space where they can connect, have fun, reflect, and build a sense of belonging without pressure to be anyone other than themselves. Whether it is seeing a new teen begin to feel comfortable in the group or watching a regular attendee grow in confidence and trust, I am continually reminded of the impact that safe, supportive relationships can have. I have had the privilege of getting to know so many incredible teens through our programs, and I am always so grateful to them for showing up with kindness, compassion, and openness, for being so authentically and fully themselves, and for sharing those authentic, quirky, kind, thoughtful, creative selves with me, with each other, and with our RBF community.
I have a PhD in Developmental Psychology, with expertise in adolescent development, trauma-informed care, and adolescent suicide prevention. I have extensive experience working with teens and families across foster care, school-based mental health programs, and clinical settings, and I am honored to bring that experience to RBF and to the young people and families we serve.
Dave Edwards, LPC
Program Manager
Hi, I’m Dave. The mission of the Foundation really speaks to me, and it’s important to me that young people have spaces like The FORT where they can come, feel safe, and make real connections.
In my work with youth, I see many who struggle with friendship, belonging, and finding activities where they feel comfortable. The FORT brings all of that together in a way that is meaningful, active, and supportive, and I feel honored to be part of it.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and the owner and clinical director of Evolve Family Counseling and Sports Psychotherapy in Lansdowne, VA. I have worked with children and adolescents for over 36 years and have provided therapeutic services to individuals and families across Northern Virginia since 2015.
I specialize in working with children, adolescents, and families, as well as sports performance issues. Before becoming a counselor, I played professional soccer in the U.K. and have coached for more than 36 years. I graduated with honors from the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Marymount University.
Voices From The FORT Hangout.
Hear directly from teens and parents about their experiences at The FORT Hangout. How connection, support, and shared activities have helped build confidence, coping skills, and a stronger sense of belonging.
“I learned how to express my feelings with others during Hangouts. Thank you for making me part of this group, where I’m feeling very happy, and where I’ve found support.”
FORT Hangout participant
“I always look forward to these hangouts.”
FORT Hangout participant
“She has loved coming to the Tuesday night meetings and she’s the first to make sure I sign her up for each month. Honestly, she’s at her happiest after those meetings.”
Parent of FORT Hangout participant
“I am thankful for these nights as she has great difficulty maintaining friends and she has started to bond with others. The reality is that my daughter has almost no friends and these events allow her to have fun, which she seldom allows herself to do. As she’s starting to face post-high school realities, mixed in with a desire to go to prom, Fort events allow her to not feel bothered for a little while and feel like a part of a team in some way.”
Parent of FORT Hangout participant
“I tell everyone I know who has teens about your program!”
Grandmother of FORT Hangout participant
“My favorite part of the FORT Hangout was chatting about things I enjoy and making friends.”
FORT Hangout participant
“I come back to the weekly FORT Hangouts for the community and the support from those around me.”
FORT Hangout participant
FAQs About The FORT Hangout
Not at all. The FORT Hangout is designed for teens of all personalities. Alongside trained adult facilitators, FORT Ambassadors help break the ice, include others in conversations, and ensure new participants feel welcomed and connected.
No. Teens are welcome to listen, participate, or contribute when they feel ready. There is never pressure to share personal experiences.
All sessions are led by a trained mental health professional with support from another adult volunteer. Together they help create a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment.
While our facilitators, adult volunteers, or Teen Ambassadors may prompt discussions around specific themes, our Hangouts strive to be teen-centered, designed to meet their needs, so topics are often chosen by the teens themselves. Conversations often explore friendships, school pressures, stress, confidence, social challenges, emotional wellbeing, and other topics relevant to teens.
No. The FORT Hangout is a prevention-focused mental wellness program, not a therapy or treatment service. It has therapeutic benefits and can be a valuable complement to therapy.
The FORT focuses on connection through experiential workshops and activities. The FORT Hangout focuses more intentionally on ongoing peer interaction, conversation, and relationship-building over time.
The FORT Hangout is designed for middle and high school students ages 12–18.
That is very common. Facilitators intentionally create a welcoming atmosphere where teens can ease in, observe, and participate at their own pace. Every teen who has joined us felt nervous at their first Hangout. Our regular FORT Hangout participants have shared the following advice for first-time participants: “It will feel awkward at first, and that’s okay. Be yourself. High-key just be yourself.”