What if “just breathe” is not just something we say to move past a difficult moment, but something we practice to move into connection? What if, in the middle of stress, misunderstanding, or loneliness, we could return to ourselves just enough to return to each other? What We Know: Many of us, youth and adults […]

It’s Just Breathe June! 🌱🫁🧘 June often tends to be a time of stress and challenge with the busyness of life causing us to feel out of balance or out of sync. This month’s connection challenges will help you bring your body back into balance and lean on others to co-regulate and deepen connection. 💛  […]

What If Mattering Were an Overlooked Driver of Youth Wellbeing? What We Know About Mattering Mattering refers to the fundamental human need to feel significant and valued by others. Beyond the need for social connection itself, we need to feel that we matter to the people around us. We assess it through three primary cues: […]

it’s Make A Difference May! 🌼 We are bringing another month of connection challenges with the theme of service as we celebrate #mentalhealthawarenessmonth! 🎈 Being of service helps us recognize our own value, uncover our strengths and talents, and show others in our community that they matter to us too. 💛 Each week includes two types […]

What We Can Do About The Connection Between Loneliness & Bullying Have you ever felt like bullying and feeling lonely were connected in ways that feel hard to break? You’re right: Research shows they are part of the same repeating loop. Loneliness and bullying are deeply linked in a cycle that can harm a young […]

Happy April! We’re back with another month of connection challenges! This month’s theme is #aprilactsofkindness, because we all know that if our world needs anything right now, it’s a little more kindness. 🎈💫 As we focus on sharing our time, talents, skills, and energy through small kind acts, remember this is one way we connect with […]

What if the way we measure social connection is one of the obstacles preventing youth from feeling more connected? What we know about social connection and how it is measured: Social Connection is the opposite of loneliness: a felt sense of being seen, being valued, and belonging. Current assessments of youth social connection reveal that […]

We’re back with another month of connection challenges! This month’s theme is #amomentformemarch because as Dr. Vivek Murthy says: “It turns out that our ability to connect with other people is driven by our ability to connect deeply with ourselves.” We encourage you to take time and intention to focus inward, reconnect or connect more deeply to you, […]

What if social media wasn’t the problem—but part of the solution for youth connection and wellbeing? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT YOUTH ENGAGEMENT WITH SOCIAL MEDIA: As a neuroscientist and WHO Fides member, I’ve been exploring this topic by facilitating global focus groups with youth. Insights from these conversations informed the Stories, Science & Strategies (SSS) […]

Meet Kamryn Fowler. Amid the challenges of the COVID lockdowns during her high school experience, Kamryn felt a deep responsibility to advocate for her peers who were struggling in silence. Recognizing the need for open dialogue, she launched a survey to give voice to their experiences and foster understanding. Kamryn is a firm believer in […]

Meet Nevaeh & Obediah Carranza. Close-knit siblings and the heart behind the organization and band Zero Reasons, they live out their philosophy every day and share it with everyone they meet: “There Are Zero Reasons Not To Be Yourself!” Raised in a military family and constantly on the move, they found consistent support in each […]