Our Mission:
Empower, educate, and motivate teens to make informed decisions for their sexual health.
Empower
We give teenagers the knowledge, skills, and confidence to protect their health and expand opportunities for their future.
Educate
We partner with schools, parents, caring adults, and teens to provide a safe space to talk about sexual health.
Motivate
We encourage people to speak up, and take actions that support a healthy lifestyle and maintain positive relationships.
Our Values
✦ Empowerment ✦ Education ✦ Openness ✦ Community ✦
Our Values
Empowerment
Education
Openness
Community
Our Values
Empowerment
Education
Openness
Community
Our Story
Teen Empower was founded by Kathy Harms in 2004. Kathy understood exactly what kind of difficulties teen parents face, because she was a teen parent. Teen Empower began with a simple mission: educate teens so that they could live healthier, happier lives.
In 2008, we introduced L.I.M.I.T.S., a peer education program designed to empower teens with an active role in what we do. We train volunteer high school students to present on social and peer pressures, media messages, and assertiveness skills to middle school students. With the supervision of our staff educators, these students lead discussions and grow as leaders.
Today, we simply call our program SHAPE: Sexual Health and Peer Education. More students apply to join as Peer Educators every year. We continue to refine our classroom materials, partnering with local and national experts to ensure what we're teaching will be effective and relevant to the youth we serve. We currently serve schools within Oklahoma County.
Our Staff
Kami Kuykendall
Executive Director
Kami brings over 20 years of experience leading and strengthening nonprofit organizations across Oklahoma. From her work as CEO at Pivot, A Turning Point for Youth — where she increased fundraising and led a powerful rebrand — to her most recent role as Chief People and Culture Officer at Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma, Kami has a proven track record of building teams, driving growth, and putting youth at the center of everything she does.
As a licensed counselor and founder of Nectar Coaching & Consulting, Kami has also supported emerging leaders and mission-driven organizations in developing inclusive, sustainable strategies. Her leadership style is both visionary and grounded, and her passion for teen-centered, shame-free sexual health education makes her a perfect fit for our mission.
“Youth deserve honest, real, factual information. I’m honored to lead an organization that values their voices and empowers them to make informed decisions.”
Amy Roff
Deputy Director
Amy Roff was born, raised, and educated in Oklahoma, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Phillips University and a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from OSU. Amy has 21 years of experience developing and managing non-profit organizations, federal grants, and programs. She currently serves as our Deputy Director, focusing on operations, governance, and fund development.
In her free time, she enjoys yoga, weight training, cycling and various group fitness classes. Amy also loves reading, writing, traveling and spending time with her husband, Rob, and their friends and family.
"We want our youth to be healthy and safe. Quality sexual health education reduces teen and unplanned pregnancy, and STIs; and protects young people from harmful relationships."
Ellen Steele
Education Coordinator
Ellen is a former Oklahoma public school teacher with experience working with students in grades 3-9. As a long-time Oklahoma resident, Ellen loves serving the youth in her community and providing a space for them to learn and grow. In her free time, she enjoys being with her family, playing board games, reading, and being outside.
Sophia Smith
Health Educator
Sophia is the Sexual Health And Peer Education (SHAPE) Coordinator at Teen Empower, where she recruits and trains high school-aged, near-peer educators to deliver vital programming to 8th-grade students. A former SHAPE student herself, Sophia brings a deep, personal commitment to empowering youth and improving community health through education and access to resources. When she’s not working, Sophia loves reading, going for walks, and spending time with her family.
Franky Diaz
Health Educator
Franky has a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health: Community Health from Oklahoma State University, working toward her Master’s in Public Health. She discovered her passion for working with youth while serving as a summer adjunct soccer coach in her hometown, beginning as a young teen and continuing into adulthood. That experience sparked her interest in supporting young people. Having grown up with limited and unhelpful sexual health education, Franky is now driven to create a more open, educational, and shame-free experience for the students she works within the classroom. Franky loves staying active through running, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Our Board of Directors
Kate Burum, Board Chair
Ashley Cheyney, PhD, Vice Chair
Aquilah Ahmad, Secretary
Christine Joachims, Treasurer
Hannah Zachry, Director
Tonya White, Director
Natalie Bayne, Director
Stuart Scofield, Director
Laura Burdette, Director
Ida Sukar, Director