Let's Be Real - Mental Health for Young Minds
Our Mental Health Literacy Programme
Flexible, evidence-based, and designed for parents, teachers, and students, our mental health literacy programme can be delivered as a complete series or tailored to suit your school's unique goals. Combine modules to address specific needs, or choose the full programme for a comprehensive approach to building understanding, awareness, confidence and a shared language around mental health across your community.
Let us help you create a programme that works for you.
How it works
Shared language lowers stigma. Clear steps keep a young person safe.
A common language for signs, feelings and limits makes talking about mental health ordinary.
Calm first steps and clear handover points keep a young person connected to support.
That is why our work covers both: literacy for the whole community, response training for the adults who need it.
The evidence
Stigma is one of the most consistently reported barriers stopping young people from asking for help, and literacy is what turns concern into a useful response. That is why we work on the two together. When schools do the same, the trials show knowledge rises, stigmatising attitudes fall, and young people become measurably more willing to seek support.
97 trials
A 2025 review in JAMA Network Open brought together 97 high-quality studies on reducing stigma, covering 43,852 young people aged 10 to 24.
Crockett et al., JAMA Network Open, 2025Knowledge grew most
The biggest change was in what young people knew about mental health. Their attitudes shifted too, and so did the way they behaved towards peers who were struggling.
Crockett et al., JAMA Network Open, 2025More willing to ask
The same review found young people became more open to asking for help, and more likely to say they would - the step that comes just before actually reaching out.
Crockett et al., JAMA Network Open, 202550% by age 14
Half of all mental health conditions start by age 14, yet most are never spotted or treated - which is why the school years are the moment to act.
World Health OrganizationPooling many studies, researchers in Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health found that anti-stigma work clearly reduced stigmatising attitudes in young people. Both teaching about mental health and meeting people with lived experience helped.
Song et al., Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health, 2023A review of mental health literacy programmes in primary and secondary schools found pupils knew more and judged less afterwards - and several of those gains were still there when pupils were checked again later.
Amado-Rodríguez et al., Children, 2022In the Guide Cymru trial, Year 9 pupils were taught a mental health curriculum by their own teachers. Compared with pupils who were not, they knew noticeably more and held far fewer stigmatising views.
Simkiss et al., BMC Public Health, 2023The SchoolSpace trial with UK secondary students found a school-based programme improved understanding and reduced stigma - a reminder that where a session happens, and how it is run, matters as much as what is taught.
Chisholm et al., BMJ Open, 2016MHFA International oversees the Mental Health First Aid programme now running in more than 25 countries. Evaluations of youth MHFA consistently show trained adults know more, hold fewer stigmatising views, and feel more confident helping a young person. Our Youth Mental Health Response training is inspired by that model and adapted to school roles.
MHFA InternationalThe World Health Organization estimates that around one in seven 10 to 19 year olds lives with a mental health condition, and that half of all conditions begin by age 14. WHO recommends school-based promotion and early identification as a core response - which is exactly the layer schools can own.
WHO, Mental health of adolescentsThe same reviews are honest about the limits: most trials measure short-term change, and long-term follow-up is still thin. That's precisely why we build for sustained, whole-community work rather than one-off assemblies - a single session shifts a survey score, a shared language shifts a school.
Learn how your amazing brain works and changes as you grow. Discover why you feel and think the way you do, and learn ways to help your brain stay healthy and strong.
Outcomes
A workshop that provides a foundational understanding of how the brain develops throughout childhood and adolescence. Participants learn how brain changes influence emotions, behaviour and decision-making.
Who are you, really? Explore what makes you you; your values, culture, and experiences, and learn how to feel proud of who you are while building connection with others.
Outcomes
This session encourages reflection on the many layers that shape identity, including culture, values and lived experiences. Participants explore how identity evolves, and how it connects us to others. The workshop supports self-awareness, confidence and cross-cultural understanding, helping young people feel seen, valued and included in their community.
Social media is everywhere, but how does it affect the way you think and feel? Learn how to use it in ways that protect your mental health, and keep your friendships real.
Outcomes
Participants examine how digital environments affect mental health, self-esteem and interpersonal relationships. This workshop introduces tools for healthy online habits, emotional regulation and critical thinking. It encourages responsible digital citizenship and promotes balanced use of technology in daily life.
Life can be tough sometimes, and that's ok. Learn strategies to help you stay strong, handle challenges, and bounce back when things don't go as planned.
Outcomes
This workshop helps participants recognise stressors and emotional triggers, and introduces effective self-care strategies. They learn practical approaches to building resilience, coping with setbacks and maintaining wellbeing in the face of challenges. The session fosters emotional literacy and personal agency.
Sometimes we need to say the hard things. Learn how to speak up with kindness, listen with care, and set boundaries that keep relationships respectful and real.
Outcomes
This session builds tools for honest, respectful dialogue. Participants explore the role of empathy, learn how to handle conflict in healthy ways, and practice setting boundaries. The workshop encourages open communication, mutual respect and a shared sense of responsibility in creating safe, inclusive spaces.
We all have physical health, and we all have mental health. We tackle the stigma around talking about mental health, and explore some of the more common mental health challenges that we face in schools today.
Outcomes
This workshop provides a clear and accessible introduction to mental health. Participants gain insight into common mental health challenges and the factors that influence emotional wellbeing. The session reduces stigma, builds confidence in discussing mental health, and offers guidance on how to seek or offer support.
Designed as the foundation step before Youth Mental Health Response training.
This programme is practical, engaging, and grounded in evidence, designed to build knowledge, confidence, and real-world understanding of mental health. Tailored to the needs of your school community, each session is created to deliver meaningful, lasting impact.
90-minute sessions that build mental health literacy through open discussion, reflection, and age-appropriate learning. Available for Primary, Middle, and Secondary school students.
Companion sessions that mirror key concepts, supporting a shared language and understanding of mental health at home.
Flexible sessions that equip educators with the knowledge and tools to confidently support mental health conversations, available in person or online.
All workshops are available in English and German.
Talk to us about your schoolOne pillar page and one programme page - so you can go straight to the level you need.
1. Pillar
What mental health literacy is, why it works, and the evidence behind it.
2. The programme
The six modules as a programme for students, staff and parents, ages 9 to 18, with delivery options and costs.
More questions? See our full FAQ.
Tell us the year groups you want to start with and we will send the module outline, delivery options and indicative costs for your school.
Next step
A School Wellbeing Audit helps you see what is already working, where the gaps are, and which next steps will make the greatest difference.
Start with a conversation or explore the audit at your own pace.