SCHOOLS & YOUTH
A 2,000-MILE ADVENTURE. A MESSAGE STUDENTS ACTUALLY NEED.
Story-driven school assemblies that help students find their path in the age of distraction and comparison.
A real story (2,000+ miles on the Appalachian Trail) → a powerful message for students navigating stress, comparison, and the pressure to fit in.
50+ schools • 10,000+ students reached • NJ-based
The Signature Program
A story-driven school assembly built on a 2,000+ mile Appalachian Trail journey.
This is Ryan’s flagship assembly experience—a real adventure story turned into a powerful message for students navigating stress, comparison, and the pressure to fit in.
In the age of distraction and comparison, students are constantly being pulled away from who they are. This program gives them something rare: a living example of choosing what matters, and practical trail lessons they can use right away.
What students experience:
Ryan doesn’t lecture. He takes students on a journey.
Through honest storytelling, humor, and meaningful reflection, students are pulled in from the first minute, and leave feeling more grounded, more seen, and more connected to themselves and each other.
Students leave with practical, memorable takeaways mapped to three core ideas (Ryan’s 3 C’s of authentic living):
Clarity → Hike Your Own Hike: How to tune out comparison, get clear on what matters to them, and make choices from their own inner compass.
Courage → You Can’t Turn Off the Rain: How to keep going when life gets hard — focusing on what they can control, finding perspective in the storm, and building resilience through it.
Connection → Trail Angels Are Real—Be One: How honesty, kindness, and vulnerability create real belonging — and how small gestures can change someone’s day (and their path).
Built for your students (K–12):
Every program is tailored to match the developmental stage of the audience:
Elementary: wonder, curiosity, confidence, kindness, and simple “trail lessons” kids can understand and remember
Middle School: pressure, comparison, identity, belonging, and the emotional roller coaster of “trying to fit in”
High School: identity, purpose, mental load, real-life decision making, and choosing your path in a loud world
Program details at a glance:
Format: full-school assembly (gym or auditorium)
Length: typically 35–60 minutes (customizable by schedule and age group)
Audience: K–12 (tailored for elementary, middle, or high school)
Add-ons available: student workshops, staff PD, family events
Why Schools Invite Ryan
Ryan has delivered assemblies for 50+ schools, inspiring over 10,000 students — and here’s why schools bring him back:
He meets students where they are. Programs are tailored by age, from elementary curiosity to middle-school pressure to high-school identity.
He speaks to students, not at them. Honest stories + real language students recognize immediately.
He connects through presence, humor, and heart. No lectures. No gimmicks. Just grounded storytelling.
He reinforces SEL outcomes naturally. Self-awareness, resilience, empathy, and purpose are woven in, not bolted on.
He supports the whole community. Students, staff, and families leave with shared language around authenticity and courage.
He leaves students changed, not just entertained. More reflective, more grounded, more connected.
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Ryan Benz is a bestselling and award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and storyteller known for his deeply human approach to authenticity, resilience, and personal growth.
After a life reset that led him to hike 2,000+ miles on the Appalachian Trail, Ryan began sharing trail lessons that help people slow down and reconnect with what matters.
Today, he brings that message to schools, universities, and organizations nationwide—helping audiences build clarity, courage, and connection. Because in the age of distraction and comparison, Ryan reminds us that authenticity isn’t a trend, it’s a quiet rebellion that changes everything.
Ryan lives in New Jersey with his partner and three boys, where he continues to write, speak, and explore the intersection of awareness and purpose.
Programs & Events
Assemblies are the foundation. Workshops and add-ons bring the message to life.
Adaptable for K–12, staff, and families.
Ryan’s talks and workshops can be customized for your school community, all rooted in one essential message: authenticity builds confidence, resilience, and connection.
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School Assemblies (Signature Program)
Dynamic, story-driven assemblies that help students navigate pressure, identity, and comparison, and leave with trail lessons they can actually use.
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Student Workshops (Recommended Add-On)
Small-group or classroom-style sessions that turn the message into action, giving students space to practice the tools, reflect, and build real habits.
Workshop focus areas include Nature-based Mindfulness, Confidence & Comparison, Resilience & Emotional Regulation.
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Freshman Orientation / Senior Send-Off
The perfect way to open or close a chapter, helping students step forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
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Middle-to-High School Transition Programs
Supporting younger students through change, building belonging, self-trust, and the confidence to walk into a new environment as themselves.
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Family & Community Engagement Events
Evening sessions that bring students, parents, and caregivers together, creating a shared language around pressure, presence, and support.
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Staff & Professional Development
Re-energizing educators with practical tools for presence and resilience, and helping staff model authenticity in a culture that asks them to be “on” all day.
The Heart of Ryan’s Message
“In a world of performance and comparison, authenticity is the quiet rebellion that changes everything.”
Through powerful storytelling from his Appalachian Trail journey, Ryan helps school communities rediscover what matters, and remember that walking your own path is the most meaningful journey of all.
Trusted by:
Dozens of school districts nationwide • Regional youth leadership conferences • PTAs • student support services
Let’s Bring This to Your School
If your school is looking for a speaker who creates connection, reflection, and impact that lasts beyond the assembly, Ryan would love to support your community.
Not into filling out forms? Skip it. Shoot us an email at booking@ryanbenz.com with some details.
NJ-based, travel available.