25th anniversary—WE Well-Being

25th anniversary—WE Well-Being

WE Well-being A new era of youth engagement

WE invites you to invest in the lifelong future of youth and empower their well-being.

WE Charity is proud to be celebrating 25 years of impact at home and around the world. We have taken an extraordinary journey to get where we are today. What started in 1995 as a humble group of twelve 12-year- olds now is a movement that engages 18,000 schools and groups around the world. We believe the best way to celebrate a quarter-century of doing good is by responding to the number one issue young people were seeking help with: their mental well-being. By age 25, approximately 25 percent of Canadians will have experienced a mental health issue. We are making strategic investments to support the well- being of young people, families and communities for generations to come.

That is why we are partnering with leading experts in the field of mental health and social emotional learning to translate science into actions and practices that help nurture lifelong positive well-being of young people and their families. Partnering with our network of tens of thousands of passionate educators, we will develop and deliver mental well-being curriculum and programming for K-12 classrooms across North America and the UK. Our objective is to help youth thrive through focusing on mental health promotion and prevention , by teaching evidence-based tangible practices that help nurture lifelong positive well-being. Through our established and proven engagement platforms and infrastructure, we will equip students, educators and families

with the tools to support their own mental well-being and the well-being of their communities The program will foster social, emotional, physical and mental well-being inside and outside of the classroom. Moreover, the program will empower participants to build safe and caring environments, while reducing stigma and other mental health risk factors. When you invest in WE Well-being, you are investing in building stronger, healthier and more caring communities.

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WE has a proven track record of success WE is proud to celebrate 25 years of doing good. WE works to ensure high impact, accountability, transparency, efficiencies and innovation. Our models of engagement and operations ensure the most effective use of donations. WE Schools is an experiential service-learning program where students apply their academic learning to real-life challenges, and are empowered to create positive change in their community and around the world. The program has proven outcomes for students, including increased academic engagement, improved university and workplace readiness, and increased active citizenship. Service-based learning 18,000 5.3M $321M+

Financially efficient

A trusted partner and award-winning organization 90% 10% of donations go directly to programs of donations go to administrative costs

Good Housekeeping Humanitarian Seal, 2017

World Economic Forum, 2008

Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, 2007

schools and school groups engaged

youth engaged globally

created in social value annually *

*Social Value = total funds raised for local and global causes + value of the weight of food collected + the value of hours volunteered. Source: WE Schools, Global Year in Review 2017-2018

Interbrand Iconic Canadian Brands, 2017

Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures, 2013 and 2016

Canada’s Most Admired CEO, 2015

WE Villages is a proven model of development in Africa, Asia and Latin America, working with over one million beneficiaries. Five Pillars of Impact—education, water, health, food and opportunity—provide our partner communities with tools to lift themselves out of poverty and work toward self-sufficiency within five to eight years. International development 200,000 1M+ $36M+

MoneySense “The Charity 100”, 2017

2016

State of the World Forum Award, 1997

students provided with a quality education

people with access to clean water and sanitation programs and facilities

in medical supplies provided to health facilities serving our partner communities

15M+ 30,000+

Notable – Canada’s Top 5 Charities Run by Young Professionals, 2013

Canada’s Top Employers for Young People, 2011, 2012, 2013

Roosevelt FreedomMedal, 2008

nutritious meals produced by farmers and families with our support

women empowered with financial independence

We’ve also been recognized by Charity 100, The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards, World’s Children’s Prize and WANGO, among others.

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Why WE Well-being In any given year one in five people will experience mental health or addiction problems. Early investment in mental health promotion and prevention, and early identification for young people, followed by rapid access to effective interventions, can be expected to lessen the burden of illness significantly. It can also be expected to pay dividends because the burden and cost of illness will be lessened along their lifespan.

The demand for child and youth mental health support far exceeds the ability of current clinical, community- based and school district response systems.

WE’s network of educators and students across North America and the UK have consistently cited mental health and well-being as a top issue, and have requested tools, resources and supports fromWE.

Why WE is uniquely positioned • We are a trusted educational partner, with over 18,000 schools and over 46,000 educators participating in WE programs • We are experts in educational programming and curriculum development, with a proven track record of executing programs that drive significant outcomes for youth, educators and communities • We have partnerships with leading mental health organizations and experts to translate mental health knowledge into action

70% of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence

What we want to accomplish

Outcomes

By age 25, approximately 25% of Canadians will have experienced a mental health issue

• Translate the science of mental health into everyday actions to promote well-being • Foster awareness for positive mental well-being through our established scale, informed by evidenced-based mental health promotion and prevention • Build credible and tailored mental wellness

Developed in collaboration with leading mental health professionals, our goal is to achieve the following transformative outcomes:

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Promoting positive, inclusive, safe and caring environments and relationships Reducing stigma, celebrating diversity and fostering resiliency Increasing social, emotional, physical and mental well-being

resources that provide educators with the tools to implement systemic, long-term behavioral change, beginning in students’ most formative years

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What makes WE Well-being unique

We are focused on promotion and prevention Drawing on evidence-based mental health promotion and prevention strategies, WE will support the early development of positive mental well-being for individuals, families and communities through stigma- reduction and accessible and inclusive programs. Youth as agents of change Leveraging our youth-centric platform, WE will engage youth as change-makers and leaders to promote their own mental well-being knowledge, skills and competencies, and to support the well-being of their schools, families and communities.

Celebrating diversity and mental health equity WE will actively celebrate diversity and promote strategies that include a focus on specific/priority populations and mental health equity.

Translating knowledge into action WE will make mental well-being as understandable and actionable as physical well-being. Young people will be equipped with everyday tips and activities they can implement to practice positive well-being.

Scale and impact WE will harness the organization’s reach—5.3 million students, 18,000 schools, tens of thousands of engaged educators, technology platforms such as the WE Global Learning Center, celebrity ambassadors, WE Day arena events with 250,000 participants—to deliver the programs and resources for large-scale impact on mental well-being and the cultivation of positive human qualities.

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WE Well-being advisors and strategic partners We are proud to partner with leaders in mental health research, policy, support services and capacity building in order to promote well-being and to help create our WEWell-being tools and resources. Our Strategic Partners Supporting research and development of WE Well-being tools and resources, and providing mental health support services

Our Advisors

Shawn A-in-chut Atleo Hereditary Chief from B.C.’s

Stan Kutcher, ONS, MD, FRCPC, FCAHS Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health/DirectormWorld Health Organization Collaborating Center in Mental Health Policy and Training Molly Stewart Lawlor, PhD Applied Developmental Psychologist/ Primary Author, WE Well-being Program Maria LeRose, MEd Award-winning Television Producer and Interviewer/Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia Marna MacMillan, MEd Educator and Safe Schools Coordinator, Coquitlam, B.C. Madalyn Marcus, PhD, C. Psych Clinical Psychologist and Clinic Director at Fairmarc Psychology Centre/Adjunct Faculty, Department of Psychology, York University Dominique Morisano, PhD, C. Psych Collaborator Scientist Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, CAMH/ Adjunct Faculty, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto/ Faculty Centre for Mindfulness Studies Susan Osher, MSc, RD, CEDRD Co-Chair, Nutrition Section, Eating Disorder Association of Canada (EDAC)/ Member, International Advisory Committee of International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP) Lisa Pedrini, MEd Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI) National Scale-out Project Manager, Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC)

Patricia Rockman, MD, CCFP, FCFP Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto/Co-Founder and Director of Education and Clinical Training, Center for Mindfulness Studies Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl, PhD Applied Developmental Psychologist and Professor, Human Development, Learning and Culture, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, Columbia (UBC)/Director, Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Kathy Short, PhD, C. Psych Director, School Mental Health Ontario Daniel Siegel, MD Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)/Founding Co- Director, UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center/Executive Director, Mindsight Institute Mark Sinyor, MSc, MD, FRCPC Psychiatrist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre/Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Michael Ungar, PhD Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience, Director, Resilience Research Centre and Scientific Director, Child and Youth Refugee Research Coalition, Dalhousie University Heather Wheeler, PhD, C. Psych Co-leader of the Mood and Anxiety Program, Humber River Hospital, and Adjunct Faculty, York University Jonathan White, PhD Director, Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center/Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Bentley University Shelley White, PhD, MPH Associate Professor, Public Health and Sociology/Program Director, MPH, Simmons University and Special Education, Faculty of Education, University of British

Ahousaht First Nation/Former co-chair of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council

Heather Atleo Negotiator, Mediator and Strategist

Arpita Biswas, PhD, C. Psych Faculty, Centre for Mindfulness Studies Amy Cheung, MD, MSc Associate Scientist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre/Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Elaine Chin, MD, MBA Founder, Executive Health Centre, Innovation Health Group Jean Clinton, BMus, MD, FRCPC Child Psychiatrist and Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroschiences, McMaster University M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCPC Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatrist/ Co-Founder, Mindfulness Toronto Barbara Hoskins, PhD Educational Therapist, Licensed Speech- Language Pathologist Karin Jasper, PhD, RP Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto/ Clinical Mental Health Specialist, Southlake Regional Health Centre Amy Kaiser, PhD Mental Health Practitioner Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Medical Generics and Microbiology, University of Toronto Sean A. Kidd, PhD, C. Psych, CPRP Senior Scientist, Complex Care and Recovery Program and Division Chief— Psychology, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)/Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Univerity of Toronto David Kreindler, MD, FRCPC Head, Division of Youth Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

A special thank you to the Erika Legacy Foundation A heartfelt gratitude to our founding partners, the Erika Legacy Foundation and the Elkington family, for their critical role in inspiring and supportingWEWell-being. The Erika Legacy Foundation is dedicated to building safer and inspired communities. Since 2016, it has championed mental health and well- being with an emphasis on inspiration and action, research and outreach.

Meg Popovic, PhD Director, Athlete Well-being and Performance, Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club

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Youth and school programming WEWell-being will equip students and educators with educational curriculum and supporting resources that foster social, emotional, physical and mental well-being inside and outside of the classroom. WEWell-being aims to foster knowledge, competencies and positive human qualities through experiential service-learning to promote social, emotional, physical and mental well-being in children, youth and educators.

Educational curriculum and lesson plans

Imagine a science class where students learn the neuroscience behind how sleep impacts our mental health Imagine a phys-ed class that introduces the connections between our physical activity and mental resiliency Imagine a coding class where students learn about the safe use of digital technology to optimize mental health Teachers will receive a turnkey package of lesson plans and resources on mental well-being that they will plug into their existing course work. Curriculumwill be developed in four cohorts of grades (primary K-3, junior 4-6, intermediate 7-8 and senior 9-12). Teachers will use the resources throughout the year to support consistent engagement with the material. Lesson plans will focus on key mental health topics including:

Understanding the brain and brain development Help-seeking Resilience

Understanding stress response Self-care Reducing stigma

WE Well-being’s 10 pillars of capacity building

Professional learning for educators

WEWell-being’s resources and programming are all grounded in 10 pillars of capacity building:

We believe the best way to systemically engage a generation of young people is by reaching them through the tens of thousands of teachers who support them every day. We will leverage our network of passionate educators and put the right resources and tools into their hands as they engage their students. WE will offer free training sessions to support educators in delivering well-being programming as well as to increase their personal and professional resilience and mental competency and capacity of teachers. • This will include group coaching sessions with mental health experts to provide teachers with effective teaching strategies. • We will also offer teacher focused events to further their learning in specialized areas of mental health and students.

1 Knowledge

2 Self-confidence & identity

3 Healthy relationships

4 Positive human qualities

5 Self management

Mental Health, Literacy, Brain

SEL: Gratitude, Compassion, Empathy, Resiliency, Altruism

Development, Digital and Media Literacy, Physical Well-being

6 Stress management

7 Positive motivation & growth

8 Social & environmental awareness

9 Responsible decision making

10 Purpose & positive contribution

Direct-to-youth programming

WEWell-being provides a variety of direct-to-youth programs (virtual and in-person), supporting youth in building skills and understanding in order to promote their own well-being and the well-being of others. These include: • Youth leadership summits focused in promoting well-being and creating safe and supportive environments for self and others • Virtual workshops, hosted from theWE Global Learning Center, in self-care and stress reduction

Executive Functioning

SOURCES: CASEL; CAMH and School Mental Health ASSIST common elements analysis of evidence-based SEL programs, 2016; Ryff, 2018.

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Praise for WE Well-being

To address the mental health crisis in this country, I encourage educators to create a space for conversation. Every classroom in America and around the world should empower our kids with the tools they need to care for their mental well-being. —Arne Duncan, United States Secretary of Education, 2009 to 2015 WE has created a powerful, inspiring and beautiful invitation to create a better life for our individual and collective lives. Constructed with clear and cutting-edge science applied in practical ways for our everyday use, this magnificent collection of wisdom from the world’s leading researchers and visionaries provides us with a concise, fun and empowering guide to be happier and healthier and to build a better world. —Daniel J. Siegel, MD, Executive Director, Mindsight Institute; Clinical Professor, ECLA School of Medicine, and Author of Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence, and Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain

WE Well-being pilot

World-class research

TheWEWell-being pilot combined experiential service-learning, social and emotional skills, and mental health literacy to promote well-being for students in grades 4-6. The pilot was developed in collaboration with leading experts and world- renowned organizations to bring the cutting-edge science of well-being into classrooms across Canada and the United States in a way that was immediately actionable.

Modules focused on unpacking social and emotional learning, mental health literacy and brain science.

Pilot Results In focus groups, WEWell-being educators reported program impact on students:

Increased perspective taking and empathy

More mindful interactions with other students

WEWell-being will undergo world-class research and evaluation in partnership with the University of British Columbia, with the goal of publishing the results of the study. The study will evaluate the efficacy of the program and the impact on students and teachers. The research will be a three-phase approach which will include: • Phase I: Implementation – Feasibility and Participant Responsiveness • Phase II: Outcome Evaluation and Randomized Control Trial • Phase III: Follow-up Evaluation (6 month follow-up)

The study will assess outcomes including: • Multiple dimensions of children’s social and emotional competence. (e.g., resiliency, altruism, perseverance, empathy, perspective-taking, emotional understanding, optimism, compassion, kindness, social responsibility) • Social behaviors (e.g., aggression, prosocial behaviors) • Classroom supportiveness (e.g., perceptions of classroom support and autonomy) • School success (e.g., school enjoyment, academic achievement)

Use new vocabulary and language on a regular basis

Increased self-awareness, focus, reflection and assessment

88% 80% 85% of educators said their participation has benefited them professionally of educators reported that the curriculum had a positive effect on students of educators said their experience was positive or very positive

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Empowering an ecosystem of mental well-being support

WE Well-being listening series Featuring intimate and soul-lifting interviews and discussions, theWE Well-being listening series is an open-minded discussion that boosts grit and busts stigma. • Each podcast focuses on a specific theme, wrapping up with thoughts from leaders and experts in the field of well-being and reputable authors • Accompanying the podcast will be free well-being resources that complement the topics discussed in the episode. WE Well-being playbook A playbook to further empower people of all ages to support their own well-being. A guide to well-being inspired by the pillars of WEWell-being. • Content supports mental health literacy and grounds the user in knowledge, strengths and action • Pages feature a mix of tips, tactics and tools supported by science • Design highlights on these pages feature simple actions to empower users to support their own mental well-being and the well- being of their communities WE Day Amplification of theWEWell-being program at WE Day events across the U.S., Canada and UK, reaching approximately 250,000 youth and educators. • Well-being segments will include compelling stories of youth who are impacted by mental health • WE Day will promote actions youth can take together on the issue • Educators attending will be able to access resources and materials in the Educator Zone Social media and mass media campaign • Providing simple actions for people to gain knowledge and strength to support their well-being • Amplification across WE’s social channels reaching 4+M followers It is not about self-improvement; it is about potential and the exponential power of small actions and informed choices.

WEWell-being provides a holistic approach by providing resources to parents and caregivers to ensure that mental well-being support does not begin and end in the classroom.

We are developing a series of multimedia materials for families, parents, teachers and workplaces to support the promotion of their own mental well-being and that of their communities, along with a series of simple actions to help nurture a positive sense of well-being.

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The WE Well-being Playbook is a valuable and much needed tool! Research informs us that learning, in and of itself, is a social and emotional experience—you can’t have one without the other. What I love the most about this guide, and true to the WE philosophy, is that it teaches people to care not only about their own well- being, but the well-being of others as well. Introduce your school, family or community to this resource—and let them know you care. —Amy Cranston, EDD, Educator and Author of Creating Social and Emotional Learning Environments

Invitation to invest

Join us in empowering the well-being of youth and their communities

With your investment, WEWell-being will deliver robust mental health programming reaching 1.2 million young people across North America by 2025.

Opportunities to invest could include:

Empower the well- being of youth

Enable the ecosystem of those supporting youth well-being

Support public engagement in WE Well-being

Investing in the well-being of youth will equip educators and youth with the necessary well-being promotion and supports to lay the foundation for positive mental health and resilience throughout life.

The impact of your investment will increase social, emotional, physical and mental well-being among a generation of students, while also fostering positive, inclusive, safe and caring environments and relationships for youth. Contact us today to help change the course of youth well-being. To discuss your legacy please contact us or email [email protected]

Your investment will support curriculum and resources for a grade or set of grades, including: • Research and development • Development and distribution of turn-key packages of lesson plans and resources • Outreach to educational partners • Translation of resources • Monitoring and evaluation

Your investment will support the development and delivery of resources and tools for parents and teachers to support their own well-being and the well-being of youth, including: • Development and amplification of well-being resources for educators and parents that focus on both their own self-care and how to support youth in their lives • Development and delivery

Your investment will support WE in reaching audiences across North America and engaging the public in the promotion of their own well- being, including: • Production and distribution of aWEWell-being listening series • Adaptation and distribution of theWEWell-being Playbook for unique audiences • Amplification of WEWell- being through a social media and mass media campaign

of professional learning sessions with teachers

We would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss additional investment options, and our ability to accommodate a variety of gift options to help make this investment fit within your philanthropic goals.

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339 Queen St E Toronto, Ontario M5A 1S9 Canada tel: 1-800-203-9091 ext. 1112 | e-mail: [email protected] Tax ID: Canada 88657 8095 RR0001, U.S 501 (c) (3)-16-1533544, England and Wales 1138645, Scotland SC045815

WE.org