Every child deserves media literacy education. Today, literacy means being able to deal with your digital world – understanding how it affects you and learning how to self-regulate.

Tamara Sobel, Digital Wellness project lead, Media Literacy Now

Our generation faces a crisis of empathy and connectivity. We need to teach young people how to sit at a table with each other, how to disagree, how to be friends, and how to talk about loss and responsible media use. Getting people back together in community is how we rebuild those skills.

Carson Domey, executive director, Coalition for Student Wellbeing

We teach coping skills and social connections to make children more resilient – and work with families to build trust and bridge that cultural stigma.

Karina Pavone, president and CEO, Amigos for Kids

We have a mental health provider desert in Florida, so we’re leading efforts to train educators and bring trauma-informed practices into schools.

Marni Stahlman, CEO, Mental Health Association of Central Florida

We focus on middle school nationally because that’s when kids are trying to find where they belong. That belonging could be a family unit, a sports team, an after-school program or even an AI chatbot. The more isolated they are, the more they’re in danger. Real connection saves lives.

Sean Prospect, executive director, After-School All-Stars of South Florida

We go into schools to deliver evidence-based programs from grade three through high school – building each year so kids can have open conversations about mental health. We work with teachers to help them recognize warning signs, and with parents and city officials to host town halls so families can learn how to talk about suicide, what language to use and where to find resources in their own neighborhoods.

Janine Ribeiro Chow-Quan, vice president of community impact, United Way of Broward County