Mental health for every child's flourishing

Starting in the classroom, with teachers who model what they teach

At Brio, we believe in the power of mental health skills to help children build lives of agency, joy, and purpose, even in tough circumstances. We work with teachers and public education leaders to make this possible for every child– equipping teachers first, so they live wellbeing before they teach it. Because children can’t flourish when their teachers are running on empty.

Children today carry a lot

And in communities facing poverty and injustice, the weight is always heavier. In India alone, 50 million children live with a mental health condition – and globally, 1 in 2 people will face one in their lifetime.

But mental health can be strengthened proactively. And when it is, children don’t just survive growing up; they get the tools to navigate life with openness, imagination, and courage.

Why start with teachers’ wellbeing?

From around age six, children spend much of their week in classrooms, often with a handful of teachers who can influence whether they feel safe and seen, and whether wellbeing is modelled, not just taught in theory. Teachers are powerful role models and daily responders to children’s feelings and behaviors. But they’re often stressed and burned out, with limited systemic support.

This can change, and it must. When teachers build mental health skills within themselves, their classrooms and communities can transform: children feel it, learn from it, and carry it forward.

Children’s wellbeing grows when their teacher’s does too

Teaching children to navigate their inner worlds cannot be just another burden placed on a depleted teacher. You can’t teach what you don’t know, and learning mental health skills is too important to be done poorly. Therefore, teacher wellbeing is not a side issue; it is a precondition for child wellbeing. At Brio, we’re ensuring teachers experience mental health skills and their benefits first— so that they can model and practice them with their students.

What we do

Brio works with local partners and government education systems to help teachers build psychological flexibility, strengthen their own wellbeing, and bring practical mental health skills into everyday classroom practice. As teachers change how they respond, relate, and teach, children experience safer classroom environments and build the skills to navigate stress, relationships, and learning.

Learn more

Toward 4 million children and teachers by 2029. See our impact so far.

When teachers develop their own wellbeing, they show up with full presence, compassion and purpose. As they implement new classroom practices, the environment transforms— and children start to grow in awareness, express their ideas, attend school more often, and help their peers more. And the ripple extends far beyond the school walls.