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Funded Projects

Roots and Wings Restorative Resilience Initiative

Awarded in 2025
Community Impact Grant
Updated Dec 1, 2025

At a Glance

The project, Roots and Wings Restorative Resilience Initiative, led by Mental Health America, aims to strengthen emotional wellness, peer connection and resilience among middle school students. Ground in restorative practices, social-emotional learning and trauma-informed principles, the program is equipping students and educators with shared tools for reflection, communication and problem-solving. This initiative seeks to enhance relationships and foster more connected and supportive school communities. Courtney Barry, PsyD, associate professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, serves as the academic partner.

More Funded Projects

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Community Impact Grant

The Reading for the Future Initiative

Awarded in 2025
The project, The Reading for the Future Initiative, led by Achieve Brown County Inc., is advancing a community-wide effort to ensure all children in Brown County are reading at grade level by the end of third grade. With nearly half of local third graders struggling with reading, the initiative brings together schools, healthcare providers, libraries, parents and community organizations to reduce barriers and make early literacy an everyday experience. By increasing early support and coordination across sectors, the initiative aims to help more children enter fourth grade as confident readers, laying the foundation for long-term academic, economic and health success.
community icon: shaking hands and group of people
Community Impact Grant

Learning and Inspiring Futures Together (LIFT)

Awarded in 2025
The project, Learning and Inspiring Futures Together (LIFT), led by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin, is launching a site-based mentoring initiative designed to support youth mental health, strengthen social-emotional learning (SEL) and expand awareness of postsecondary and career pathways. By focusing on youth from low-income households and rural communities, where provider shortages and hospital closures have intensified mental health needs, the initiative aims to build resilience, foster connection and broaden future opportunities for young people across northwestern Wisconsin. Shana Schmidt, director of college effectiveness at Chippewa Valley Technical College, serves as the academic partner.