The Whole School Health Coalition

The Whole School Health Coalition is a one-stop wellness solution for K–12 schools—combining mental health literacy, health education, family engagement, and youth workforce development.

Delivered via a Full Service Community Schools model we are working to systematize student and staff wellness in schools and meet the urgent mental, physical, and emotional health needs of the whole child.

Together, we make it easy for schools to care for every student, support every educator, and strengthen every community.


------ THE WHO ------

Advocates 4 All Youth, Puberry, and Welfie are founding members of The Whole School Health Coalition. A social impact partnership to support K-12 schools districts in embracing the whole school, whole community, whole child approach. Together, we are serving 58 community schools, in 11 districts, across 5 states, that collectively teach and care for over 48,000 students (and counting). 

Advocates 4 All Youth has been implemented in 3 districts and 17 YMCAs across 3 states. 

Puberry is an NYC DOE approved (PUB895213) K-12 gamified and medically verified health curriculum that is already serving NYC Public School students, and was recognized as a finalist in the National Oracle Health Pediatric Innovation competition.

Welfie is Full Service Community Schools Platform offering a unique blend of workforce development (Welfie Academy) and workforce optimization (Welfie Pro) tools for K-12 Districts, serving over 50 Community Schools across 2 districts in California. 

                   


------ THE WHAT ------

The Whole School Health Coalition addresses the urgent mental health and wellness needs of NYC public schools—starting in District 9—by empowering youth as peer health leaders, supporting overburdened staff, engaging families, and systematizing care through a culturally responsive, Full Service Community Schools model.

In addition to serving as the core health curriculum, we supervise high school students as they progress through a stackable credential pathway:

ALLY – We recruit and train high school students to become part of the school-based health workforce, delivering evidence-based mental health literacy and scenario-based health education in district elementary and middle schools. As near-peer educators from the community, they build trust, foster belonging, and strengthen student wellness. Students receiving this education are 50% more likely to reach out to a trusted adult, and trials show a 5-point reduction in anxiety, with even greater impact for high-risk youth—comparable to clinical interventions.

Advocate – Trained through partnerships with The Lay Counselor Academy and Institute for Public Strategies, Advocates conduct needs assessments, run community health campaigns, and support CBO engagement. Mentored by physicians and psychologists, they provide peer counseling and reduce staff burden.

Ambassador – Our pre-apprenticeship program prepares students for high-road, high-need health careers through CTE-aligned workforce training. Ambassadors directly support community schools and expand long-term wellness capacity.

Through this youth-powered approach, we build sustainable systems that help schools care for every student, support every educator, and strengthen every community.


------ THE WHY ------

The youth mental health crisis is an “inner pandemic” and one of the most urgent public health issues facing the U.S. Alarming data from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reveal:

  • 40% of students report persistent sadness or hopelessness
  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10–24
  • 1 in 8 NYC students is homeless; 73% live in poverty
  • Students in poverty are 2–3x more likely to develop mental health conditions
  • Many NYC schools have ~ 1 social worker for every 3,000 students

Youth mental health represents a multi-trillion-dollar issue that is underfunded, misunderstood, and urgently in need of innovative solutions.

In fact, it's estimated that health illiteracy in the US contributes to more than $3 Trillion in economic burden.

And, the schools that work hard to connect their needs with external mental health service providers (mostly nonprofits, funded through philanthropy) are doing so solely through connections or if the provider approaches them. There is no centralized system that effectively matches schools' needs with appropriate service providers. 

Connect with us:
Advocates 4 ALL Youth - JillKaar@gmail.com 
Puberry - DemetraMallios@puberry.org 
Welfie - DocMoyo@welfie.com