Prevention that young people actually lead.
We build youth wellness in Orange County through substance-use prevention, mental health support, and leadership young people run themselves.
Started by a student who wanted prevention to feel different
Niharika (Niha) Goel
Founder of the Resilient Stars Foundation, a sophomore at Oxford Academy, and Secretary of the Seal Beach Leos. She grew up in Los Alamitos.
Through the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, she participated in national youth prevention initiatives and represented California as a youth voice at the CADCA National Leadership Forum.
Most prevention reaches young people as a lecture — one assembly, one slideshow, once a year. Meanwhile the actual risks have changed. Teen experimentation is down nationally, but counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl have made a survivable mistake fatal.
At the same time, the everyday parts of wellbeing have quietly eroded. Across a decade, the CDC recorded declines in every category it tracks — sleep, physical activity, and nutrition. Two in five students report persistent sadness or hopelessness.
Resilient Stars exists to close that gap. We connect young people and families directly to the professionals, organizations, and resources already in their community — and we put youth in charge of how that happens.
Because the encouraging truth is that most young people are already making healthy choices. Our job isn't to frighten the majority. It's to protect the progress they've made and support the ones who need more.
Four areas, one goal
Wellness isn't one thing, so our work isn't either. Each area reinforces the others.
Substance-Use Prevention
Honest, current education about risks that have genuinely changed — including fentanyl in counterfeit pills — delivered without scare tactics or condescension.
Mental Health & Wellness
Resilience, stress management, and healthy coping — plus direct connections to local mental health resources for young people and the adults who care for them.
Youth Leadership
Training and real platforms for young people to run prevention work themselves — because a message from a peer lands differently than one from a podium.
Community Events & Partnerships
Convening schools, nonprofits, health professionals, first responders and local businesses so families can find everything in one place, on one day.
What we're building right now
Seal Beach Youth Wellness Fair
A free, all-day community event connecting young people and families to prevention education, wellness resources, and the organizations already working nearby — held as the local kickoff to Red Ribbon Week.
Four ways to help
We're a young organization doing this from the ground up. Every one of these makes a measurable difference.
Donate
Tax-deductible gifts fund materials, speakers and activities. Every dollar goes into programming.
Give now →Sponsor
Local businesses can sponsor from $100 to $2,500+, or donate goods and services in kind.
Request the packet →Partner
Nonprofits, clinics, agencies and schools — bring a booth, an activity, or a demonstration.
Partner with us →Volunteer
Students and adults alike. Help plan, set up, staff a station, or join our youth leadership team.
Sign up →Let's talk
Whether you want to sponsor, partner, volunteer, or just learn more — we'd love to hear from you. We reply to everything.