Coalition To Empower Our Future Releases New Ad Featuring Youth Mental Health Advocate & Leader of Coalition for Student Wellbeing
Spot Features Carson Domey, Leader of Student-Led Coalition Dedicated to Bridging the Gap Between Young People and Decision-Makers
For Immediate Release:
February 24, 2026
Contact: [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Coalition to Empower our Future, a growing partnership focused on understanding the many contributing factors surrounding youth mental health and wellbeing, today launched “Carson,” a new ad highlighting the importance of involving young people in conversations about the complex youth mental health challenge and the comprehensive solutions needed to address it.
The spot features Carson Domey, a student at the University of Texas at Austin and executive director of the Coalition for Student Wellbeing, a student-led organization that seeks to bridge the gap between students and decision-makers through advocacy, collaboration and education to ensure young voices are heard. It highlights why we must include young people at the center of conversations on mental health solutions, to recognize their unique challenges and ensure their voices shape the solutions designed to help them.
“Young people today are dealing with complex and interconnected mental health and wellbeing challenges that show up differently in each person,” said Carson Domey, executive director of the Coalition for Student Wellbeing. “The Coalition for Student Wellbeing is dedicated to amplifying student voices so that their perspectives are heard by educational leaders and policymakers shaping their environments. Young people need comprehensive solutions that recognize their unique challenges. Most importantly, they need to be heard and included in creating those solutions.”
“Young people, such as Carson, are the experts on their own unique mental health experiences,” said Glen Weiner, executive director of the Coalition to Empower our Future. “The reality is that youth mental health challenges are multifaceted with many underlying factors, and what might work for one person may not work for another. That is why we must engage and listen to young people to ensure their voices are heard when thinking about the comprehensive, lasting solutions they need.”
The Coalition for Student Wellbeing is a member of the Coalition to Empower our Future. Both organizations are working together to gather insights and shared learnings to better understand the many dimensions of the youth mental health challenge.
Watch Carson here.
Script:
As the leader of the Coalition for Student Wellbeing, I believe students must be at the table when discussing youth mental health.
Alongside their parents, kids are navigating a challenging world during formative years in their lives.
Major life changes, academic pressures and financial challenges can feel overwhelming.
The type of stress can look really different for each student.
That’s why we need a thoughtful, comprehensive solution, informed by young people.
About the Coalition to Empower our Future
Coalition to Empower our Future is a newly formed organization bringing together a range of voices to fully inform solutions that empower youth, parents, communities, and society. The Coalition to Empower our Future supports solutions that are inclusive of the full spectrum of factors impacting youth mental health. Former Montana Governor Steve Bullock, former U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo, and Dr. Caroline Carney, a board-certified psychiatrist and internist, serve on the board of directors of the Coalition to Empower our Future.
To learn more, visit empowerourfuturecoalition.com or follow Coalition to Empower our Future on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
###
