Youth mental wellbeing faces crisis levels, particularly among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) teens who often lack support.
“Head in the Game” is a Beyond Sport program powered by Z Zurich Foundation and in collaboration with Zurich North America, leveraging sports – community, collegiate and professional – to assist 13 to 19-year-olds in mental health.
The initiative includes grants, youth coach training, a multimedia awareness campaign, and a learning community to foster collaboration, share insights, and continuously improve collective efforts to support teen mental health.
Social inequities are intensifying mental struggles for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ teens.
Black and Brown teens are accessing half the mental care of white peers. Girls are facing more challenges than boys. Suicide rates for Black teens increased 144% from 2007-10. 41% of LGBTQ+ teens considered suicide in the past year, with trans and nonbinary rates even higher.
We’re zeroing in on four specific states: California, Illinois, Minnesota and New York. Why? Because in these states, communities of color and LGBTQ+ city populations have surged in the past decade, according to U.S. Census data. Yet, youth mental wellbeing resources haven’t kept pace with their growing needs.
Funding sports organizations in CA, IL, MN, NY to support youth mental health.
Training over 2,000+ coaches in trauma-informed preventative youth mental health care.
Establishing a community for discussing challenges and solutions at both community and state levels.
Uniting the sports sector, from grassroots to pro, to enhance teen mental health outcomes.
Providing free online learning resources and mental health tools.
Meet our Head In The Game Collaborators who are championing mental health through their stories of resilience and hope. From professional athletes, sports organizations and beyond, they are pushing the boundaries of mental wellbeing, to support youth and adults to speak up and put their mental health first.
With youth mental wellbeing at crisis levels, Beyond Sport is collaborating with Z Zurich Foundation and Zurich North America on a multi-year program to leverage sports to improve mental wellbeing for 13 to 19-year-olds in the United States.
Beyond Sport is a global foundation that invests in organizations, programs and networks that use sport to positively impact communities. Employing a unique and holistic approach, it leverages a diverse network of sport for social change innovators and expertise built up over nearly two decades. Since 2008, Beyond Sport has provided approximately $9.7M in grants to 389 projects across 63 countries in addition to capacity building support.
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At the Z Zurich Foundation, we believe in a world where young people have the tools and resources to improve their mental wellbeing. The Z Zurich Foundation is a Swiss-based charitable foundation established by members of the Zurich Insurance Group. It is the main vehicle by which Zurich Insurance Group delivers on its global community investment strategy.
Visit SiteZurich North America is one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals. Our customers represent industries ranging from agriculture to technology. Zurich North America is part of Zurich Insurance Group, a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets.
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Beyond Sport is a global foundation that invests in organizations, programs and networks that use sport to positively impact communities. Employing a unique and holistic approach, it leverages a diverse network of sport for social change innovators and expertise built up over nearly two decades. Since 2008, Beyond Sport has provided approximately $9.7M in grants to 389 projects across 63 countries in addition to capacity building support.
Visit Site
At the Z Zurich Foundation, we believe in a world where young people have the tools and resources to improve their mental wellbeing. The Z Zurich Foundation is a Swiss-based charitable foundation established by members of the Zurich Insurance Group. It is the main vehicle by which Zurich Insurance Group delivers on its global community investment strategy.
Visit Site
Zurich North America is one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals. Our customers represent industries ranging from agriculture to technology. Zurich North America is part of Zurich Insurance Group, a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets.
Visit Site
These 43 organizations, including grantees and expert providers will be delivering coach training and are being equipped with funds and capacity-building tools to enhance mental health support for more teens. And we have many other organizations who are supporters of our work.
