We See Who You Are
Heart of Juniper exists for young people ages 13–23 who are navigating a world that hasn't always had the right words for them.
Our Mission
Cultivate Leaders
We invest in the inner architecture of leadership — character, self-awareness, and the courage to lead with integrity before position ever arrives.
Fuel Grit
Adversity is not the enemy of potential — it is the forge of it. We create environments where young people learn to stay, to push, and to finish.
Grow Greatness
Greatness is not a destination reserved for the few. We help each young person discover what they were made to contribute and build a path toward it.
Why Ages 13–23
The years between 13 and 23 are not a waiting room before real life begins — they are the formation years. The decisions made, the voices listened to, and the identity anchored during this window shape the trajectory of an entire life.
Research consistently shows that mentorship, belonging, and purposeful challenge during adolescence and early adulthood produce measurable lifelong outcomes: higher educational attainment, stronger civic engagement, healthier relationships, and greater economic stability.
We chose this window because it is the one where investment matters most — and where too many young people are left without the guidance, community, or resources to realize who they already are.
Founded by Alan Augustin
Heart of Juniper was born from a vision shaped by faith, personal experience, and an unshakeable conviction that every young person carries potential worth fighting for.
Alan Augustin founded HOJ after watching talented young people slip through the cracks of systems that labeled them rather than understood them — systems that measured what they couldn't do rather than seeing what they were becoming.
That personal story — of mentors who showed up, of faith that held through uncertainty, of grit forged in hard seasons — is the foundation this organization stands on. Heart of Juniper is not a program. It is a commitment.
Ready to get involved?
Explore our programs or support the work that changes trajectories.