According to a 2022 mental health report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2018 to 2019, about 15% of adolescents ages 12 to 17 had a major depressive episode and 37% reported “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.” Add to that the typically underreported incidents experienced by students of color, first-generation students, and other marginalized individuals, and the numbers are likely even higher. That’s why Selena Gomez is partnering with Google to support mental health training in schools and provide mindfulness resources to students. To fund the initiative, Google.org, the philanthropic branch of Google, is donating $10 million to various mental health and education organizations: DonorsChoose, The JED Foundation, Child Mind Institute, The Steve Fund, and Gomez’s own The Rare Impact Fund.
“I know that being a teenager can feel complicated and lonely,” Gomez writes in a blog post announcing the initiative. “We have to give teens resources so that they can build strong mental health habits.”
Why Is Selena Gomez Launching a Mental Health Initiative for Students?
Growing up in the spotlight, Gomez became intimately familiar with the pressure experienced by young people and its impact on their mental health. As the actress grew up, her actions (and inevitable missteps) were captured for the public eye, making privacy a struggle. In her Apple TV+ documentary My Mind and Me, the actress opened up about her bipolar diagnosis and her decision to check into a rehabilitation center. As a result, the trajectory of her career has changed, along with her purpose.
“I know firsthand that caring adults who really get it can make all the difference in a teenager’s life,” she writes. “Few people are in a better position to help do this than teachers.”
How It Works
Google commits to providing $500 for all mindfulness initiatives posted on DonorsChoose. In addition, teachers will receive $200 in credit each time they complete one of the half-hour mental health training sessions provided by the nonprofit. Some examples of purchases for schools made through DonorsChoose include saucer chairs for a designated “calm corner,” meditative stuffed animals, and wall posters with positive affirmations.
One Los Angeles teacher, Aileen Gendrano Adao, explains that this additional funding has allowed her to purchase diverse graphic novels, including those that celebrate Asian-American identity. She also asks her students to take three deep breaths to ground themselves before class. “Schools are transforming in a way that’s needed and necessary to heal from post-pandemic chaos,” she says. “People are seeing us and wanting us to be better and whole again.”
