Our approach
Support our workEquipping teachers and strengthening systems so that every child can flourish
At Brio, we’re building a world where every child, no matter their circumstances, can learn mental health skills from their teacher. We support teachers to cultivate and embody positive mental health skills with their students through a 3-part model that engages children, teachers, education leaders, and the local community.
Discover our model
1. Co-design evidence-based programs
Together with civil society and public sector partners, we develop programs rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) – a proven behavioral framework that builds agency, reduces mental disorder risk, and drives values-aligned change across a wide range of populations. All our programs are designed to scale, adapt, and sustain impact across diverse contexts.
2. Equip teachers & sector leaders
We embed mental health into classrooms through transformative teacher training to ensure that the adults who shape children’s environments learn and model these skills. We do this through high-touch, high-quality in-person training sessions, simple user-friendly materials, and tech-enabled follow-up.
3. Scale through public partnerships & technology
We align our programs with relevant institutional policies and goals to ensure teacher mental health and children’s wellbeing is on the training agenda. We also develop scalable digital resources both within and beyond the existing government training system to support long-term local ownership and sustainability.
Our pathway to impact
Teacher wellbeing is not a side issue; it is a precondition for child wellbeing. At Brio, we help teachers build their own mental health skills first, then translate them into everyday classroom practice. Teachers are trained on more than a curriculum— they learn to teach these skills in a contextualized, authentic and embodied way. As a result, classroom climate shifts, teacher-student relationships improve, and children’s wellbeing and engagement follow.
Our pathway to impact
Teacher wellbeing is not a side issue; it is a precondition for child wellbeing. At Brio, we help teachers build their own mental health skills first, then translate them into everyday classroom practice. Teachers are trained on more than a curriculum— they learn to teach these skills in a contextualized, authentic and embodied way. As a result, classroom climate shifts, teacher-student relationships improve, and children’s wellbeing and engagement.
Teacher wellbeing, training, and curriculum
Teacher behavior and classroom implementation
Classroom climate and teacher-student relationships
Student wellbeing and engagement
The proven method at the heart of our work
Our programs are grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) – one of the most researched behavioral frameworks in the world, supported by over 1,000 randomized controlled trials.
ACT helps build psychological flexibility: the ability to meet life’s challenges with openness and curiosity, and act on what matters most. Effective as treatment, prevention, and promotion, it meets people wherever they are.
How we scale mental health with the public sector
We co-design with public sector leaders, embed into official training systems, and build capacity through experiential training.
After a successful pilot in 2024, Rajasthan’s Education Department made Khushi Shala its official teacher training program and children’s curriculum, committing $4.19 for every philanthropic $1 we invest. By 2029, 120,000 trained teachers will reach 3.3 million children every year.
4:1
government co-investment ratio for in-person teacher training
5-year
MOU with Rajasthan education department
2
major training budgets approved in 2026 (DIET + PM Shri)