Ok, this is the place where I talk about what Teen Corner is, what our programs are, and all of that stuff!

RSDHope Teen Corner was started in March, 1998, in response to the growing amount of kids joining the RSDHope digest listserv (which is not around anymore). Keith Orsini, the director of RSDHope asked me, Betsy, to help start a program for kids with RSD.

Teen Corner started with one program and three members, including me! Our one program was what we now call "Topic of the Month." We wrote little essays about how RSD effected our lives, and we e-mailed each other.

Today, Teen Corner has grown an incredible amount! There are now almost 90 members, and tons of programs.

Here are some of the programs that we run:

1. A listserv
2. A message board
3. A chat room
4. Topic of the Month
5. Writer's Corner, which displays some of our writings and poetry
6. Personal homepages of members
7. Friends of Hope, a list of e-mail addresses
8. A website award
And there are many more things we do indirectly, such as supporting and helping RSD awareness campaigns and e-mailing each other privately!

All Teen Corner programs are optional. Not everyone participates, and that's ok. Teen Corner is here to let members express their feelings and give and recieve support when they want to.

Here is an explanation of each program I mentioned above:

Our listserv is a communication tool, so members can ask and answer questions, talk about their feelings, or just have fun. A listserv lets us send an e-mail to a lot of people at once, with just one e-mail address. To find out more, please go to our listserv explanation page.

The message board is another way of communicating. Members can post a question or an announcement on the board, and everyone who goes there can read it and respond.

Our Talk City chat room is open 24 hours a day. We normally have a scheduled chat, but that has been temporarily stopped until we can make a decision on the best day and time. To find out how to get to the chat room and register, please go to our chat page.

Topic of the Month is our oldest program. A topic is chosen for each month, and members are notified through e-mail. Members send in writings on the topic before or on a certain date, and I post the writings on the website. Members are also encouraged to choose a topic for the next month!

Writer's Corner is a showplace of members' poetry and writings. The writings can be on any subject, not just RSD.

Each member is encouraged to share their personal stories on their own webpage! They can put anything they want on there, whether it's related to RSD or not.

Friends of Hope is a brand-new program. It's a list of members' e-mail addresses. These Teen Corner members have volunteered to have their e-mail addresses displayed on the site, so anyone who wants to write to them can! Please feel free to write to anyone whose name is listed on that page.

Our website award is given out to sites that promote awareness of RSD. My real hope is to give it out only to RSD sites made by kids!

Joining Teen Corner is very simple. If you would like to join, just send me an e-mail with your name and a little about yourself! I will add your e-mail address and name to my lists, and that's it.

I always love to hear from other kids with RSD. I'm not just in charge of Teen Corner, I'm a member too! And that just sounded like a commercial...hehe! I'm here to talk to you, and I'll always respond. Don't ever hesitate to e-mail me or contact me on ICQ!

We're always adding new things to the site, so come back often!