Teaching Teens to Love and Be Loved: How Sally Ivers Brings Theology of the Body to Life

(Photo provided)

For more than two decades, Sally Ivers has been walking alongside young people, helping them discover their God-given dignity and purpose. What began as a leadership club for her own daughter eventually led her into teaching Teen Star, a program based on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body at St. Mary Parish in Littleton. 

“I had been working with youth for so long that when the parish wanted to bring in Teen Star in 2017, they asked me to take the training,” Ivers said. “Since then, I’ve been teaching it to seventh and eighth graders, as well as homeschool communities and even non-Catholic groups, which is beautiful because when you hear the truth, you know it, and they actually really embrace it.” 

Teen Star was founded in the early 1980s by Sister Hanna Klaus, a medical missionary and surgical gynecologist. While working in underserved areas, she encountered women who lacked understanding of their own bodies, leading to poor health outcomes and broken relationships. Out of that need, Teen Star was born. 

At its heart, the program helps students understand themselves as whole persons — physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual.  

“Every bit of education in Teen Star has to do with a holistic understanding of who you are,” Ivers explained. “Each of the five points of the star represents an aspect of you as a person. You can’t take one point out when you’re discovering and understanding your purpose in life.” 

Through 12 sessions, students learn everything from fertility awareness and brain development to relationships and the meaning of authentic love. Ivers partners closely with parents, sending follow-up materials and encouraging conversations at home. She says she has watched students transform over the course of the program. 

“At the beginning of the class, they’re one person, and at the end, they’re another,” Ivers said. “The bullying stops; the teasing goes way down. They understand each other differently. The boys come to respect the girls’ cycles and even learn how to chart them. It’s beautiful to see.” 

This past year, Ivers represented the United States at the international Teen Star Congress in Paris, where delegates from 22 countries gathered to share how they are bringing the program to their communities. In some countries, Teen Star is even taught in public schools. 

“Seeing the beauty of the differences and similarities across cultures was so moving,” Ivers said. “The teachings of John Paul II are universal, and the Church is truly catholic. If Teen Star were taught in every Catholic school here in the U.S., I believe the Church and our young people would be very different.” 

Ivers works closely with other Teen Star leaders across the U.S. and says the collaboration with international facilitators is a source of encouragement. Despite cultural pushback, she remains convinced of the program’s power.  

“It’s not easy. Anything we do in the Church goes against the tide,” she explained. “But when parents come to our information sessions, many are in tears, wondering why they were never taught this themselves.” 

For Ivers, this work is more than education: it’s mission territory. She describes Teen Star as “marriage prep in fifth grade,” not because students are preparing for the sacrament immediately, but because they are learning the foundations of love, respect and self-understanding that will carry into adulthood, no matter their vocation. 

“My whole purpose is to help them go off to college without shame,” Ivers said. “To see the beauty of who they are, to know what their life is about and to live with that understanding as a gift. That’s the heart of this program, and it’s what keeps me going.” 

For her devotion to service, especially to the youth of her community, Sally Ivers has been recognized as this month’s Disciple of the Month. 

Congratulations, Sally, for being named the Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal Disciple of the Month! 

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