Our Story
Our Mission
We empower children who have experienced the loss of a parent by fostering resilience, igniting a passion for marine conservation, and equipping them with educational pathways for future success. Through immersive marine education and mentorship, we cultivate hope and healing while protecting our oceans
Our Vision
We envision a future where every child touched by loss finds healing and purpose through a deep connection to the ocean. These young people become empowered advocates for their own well-being, education, and the health of our marine world
Core Values
Compassion
meeting children where they are, with empathy and care.
Resilience
helping them discover strength in the face of loss.
Connection
fostering bonds with peers, mentors, and the ocean itself.
Stewardship
teaching responsibility for our shared marine world.
Empowerment
equipping youth with tools to chart their own course.
Education
opening pathways to future success through scholarships and learning
A Letter from our Founder
Resilience is not just surviving—it’s rising.
​
Dear friends,
​
Welcome to Tidal Resilience Foundation. I’m so grateful you’ve found your way here. This space was created with you in mind—whether you are navigating loss yourself, supporting someone you love, or simply curious about the work we are doing to help young people rise with resilience, I am glad you are here.
My own journey has been shaped by loss, challenge, and the determination to keep moving forward. From 9 to 19, I lived without my mom. I lost her when I was nine, and by nineteen, I had also lost my dad. Those years were marked by survival—finishing high school with honors, dancing full‑time, and learning how to keep moving even when grief felt overwhelming.
​
From 19 to 29, I carried on without my mom or dad. I graduated college with a bachelor’s in education and returned to my alma mater to teach social studies, coach dance, and direct the high school pageant. I cheered five years in the NFL—the maximum allowed—serving as team captain while teaching full‑time. I earned my master’s degree, balancing discipline, leadership, and service.
​
From 29 to now, I have lived without my mom, dad, or grandparents, who I lost in succession during COVID. I worked three years as an assistant principal, guiding students and teachers with care. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a challenge that reshaped my perspective but not my determination. I chose to return to teaching, to stay close to the work that grounds me. And in the midst of it all, Tidal Resilience Foundation was born—a vision to transform my story into a legacy of hope for children who have lost a parent.
​
Each chapter of my life has carried loss, challenge, and achievement. But more than anything, it has carried resilience. That is the gift I want to share: that even in the hardest seasons, young people can discover strength, healing, and opportunity.
​
This is not just my journey—it is ours. I invite you to join me in building a community where grief is met with compassion, resilience is nurtured, and young lives rise with the tide.
​
With gratitude,
Karen Danlovich
Founder, Tidal Resilience Foundation
The Tide We Face
Every year, millions of children in the U.S. experience the death of a parent or sibling. By age 18, 1 in 11 will be bereaved. These young people are twice as likely to face challenges at home, more vulnerable to mental health struggles, and at greater risk for substance use and even suicide.
​
The cost of inaction is profound: grief left unsupported can disrupt development, erode resilience, and shorten lives. But with caring communities, positive role models, healthy coping skills, peer support, and encouraging educators, bereaved children can thrive.
​
Data cited from the Child Bereavement Estimation Model.
Stay in the Current
Sign up to receive stories, updates, and opportunities to support resilience in action.
