Mental Health For Youth Initiative

Project Embrace!

From Awareness to Sustained Support

Awareness alone is not enough.

Mental health sensitisation can increase awareness, but without continued learning, trained adults, referral pathways and follow-up, young people may still struggle to access meaningful support. Schools and communities need stronger internal systems that can sustain mental health education, recognise when young people are struggling and respond appropriately.

Project Embrace! (PE!) is MHYI’s flagship school- and community-based mental health programme designed to institutionalise mental health awareness and strengthen internal support systems for young people. Anchored on Embrace Your Mind: A Mental Health Guide for Young People, PE! combines structured mental health education with trained facilitators, sustained engagement, first-line support and referral pathways.

The programme also integrates data collection and research to strengthen implementation and generate evidence for policy advocacy and wider youth mental health systems change.

Project Embrace! (PE!) is MHYI’s flagship school- and community-based mental health programme designed to institutionalise mental health awareness and strengthen internal support systems for young people. Anchored on Embrace Your Mind: A Mental Health Guide for Young People, PE! combines structured mental health education with trained facilitators, sustained engagement, first-line support and referral pathways.

The programme also integrates data collection and research to strengthen implementation and generate evidence for policy advocacy and wider youth mental health systems change.

Embrace Your Mind

Embrace Your Mind: A Mental Health Guide for Young People is the core learning resource underpinning Project Embrace!. Developed by MHYI in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the guide translates complex mental health concepts into accessible, culturally relevant language, relatable stories and practical tools that reflect the realities young people navigate.

Through its chapters, character journeys and accompanying workbook, young people learn to understand their minds and emotions, recognise signs of distress, build healthier coping skills, navigate common mental health challenges, support others appropriately and know when and how to seek further help. More than an awareness resource, Embrace Your Mind is designed to turn mental health knowledge into practical understanding, reflection and action.

Project Embrace! is delivered through four connected stages that move from understanding the context to building capacity, embedding support, and using evidence to strengthen future action.

How it works -
Step by Step

Step 1

Understand & Prepare

We engage participating schools and communities to understand needs, existing support structures and referral options, while identifying suitable facilitators and establishing a baseline for implementation.

Step 2

Equip & Build Capacity

Selected facilitators are trained to deliver mental health education safely, recognise signs of distress, provide appropriate first-line support and make referrals when further care is needed.

Step 3

Embed Learning & Support

Structured, ongoing mental health education is combined with trained facilitators and referral pathways to create sustained internal support within schools and communities.

Step 4

Measure, Learn & Influence

MHYI tracks programme outcomes and uses the evidence generated to improve delivery, inform research and policy advocacy, and strengthen youth mental health systems.

Get Involved

Connect with us

We truly care about every message, partnership request, and expression of interest we receive.

If we take a little time to respond, please be patient with us. We will get back to you within 24 hours.

We encourage everyone who believes in youth mental health to join us and help make this journey a reality. Together, we can build safer spaces, stronger voices, and lasting impact.

Leadership and Our team Page

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