The Jed Foundation - JED

11/26/2025

JED's office will be closed this week so our team can recharge their batteries and enjoy time with family and friends. You’ll continue to see some activity on our page, but our team will be offline.

If you are in crisis, you can text 988 for a free confidential conversation 24/7. Find additional resources and information at jedfoundation.org/help.

11/26/2025

Join our upcoming webinar for an essential conversation about the ever-changing landscape of policy and funding on campus. We'll break down these complex issues and provide strategic solutions.

📅 Tuesday, December 2, 2025
⏰ 4:00-5:00 PM ET
📍Virtual

Speakers:
Facilitator: Dr. Zainab Okolo, LCMFT, SVP Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations, The Jed Foundation
Dr. Hollie Chessman, Director & Principal Program Officer, American Council on Education
Steven Bloom, Assistant Vice President, Government Relations, American Council on Education
Jenny Achilles, MA, MPAff, Sr. Program Officer, Trellis Foundation

Don’t miss this must-attend session. Register today: https://jedfoundation-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gMdkUeCgS46vvgSt1ZZ-wg

11/22/2025

Chryss lost her brother Mark to su***de when she was just 12 and he was 15. For decades, she didn’t talk much about it. Then she had teenagers of her own — and the grief she’d buried came rushing back.

When her daughter turned 15 during the pandemic, Chryss thought it “meant I was going to lose her, too.”

“My grief was patient,” she says. “It just waited for me to grow up.”

For International Survivors of Su***de Loss Day, read Chryss’ story, find resources for grief, or share a memory of your own. https://jedfoundation.org/survivors-of-su***de-loss-day/

11/20/2025

When Charlotte lost her dad to su***de, she didn’t know how to talk about it, so she didn’t – for several years.

Photography helped her open up. Coding helped her connect others to mental health support.

She thinks about her dad a lot. He loved coffee shops. Sometimes he’d take her to one before school and let her play Subway Surfers on his phone.

“There’s no one thing,” she said. “I just miss being with him.”

For International Survivors of Su***de Loss Day, read Charlotte’s story, find resources for grief, or share a memory of your own. https://jedfoundation.org/survivors-of-su***de-loss-day/

11/19/2025

JED’s Texas YAC Fellow, Ivanna Sintes, spent years masking to get by. Now she’s learning that self-acceptance, not performance, is what truly heals.

Read Ivanna’s story here: https://jedfoundation.org/youth-advocacy-coalition-texas-ivanna-sintes/

11/19/2025

You may be surprised to hear that you can reduce capital gains taxes by donating appreciated stock and securities. Many of our donors choose this especially smart way to give and even increase their lifesaving impact.

Learn more here:

Donating appreciated stock and securities is a savvy way to increase your support for mental health initiatives, allowing you to possibly avoid capital gains and receive a tax deduction.

11/18/2025

“The thing that got us through it was holding onto each other,” says Lauren Bernstein.

Since losing their son, Jason, the Bernsteins have kept his creativity close to them. He made over 100 home movies, and they still watch them together.

For International Survivors of Su***de Loss Day, read their story, find resources for grief, or share a memory of your own. https://jedfoundation.org/survivors-of-su***de-loss-day/

11/17/2025

📆 Mark Your Calendars! Join Dr. Dr. Katie Hurley, DSW, LCSW, JED's Senior Director of Clinical Advising and Community Programs Thursday at 8 PM EST/ 5 PM PST for Speaker Talk, hosted by Other Parents Like Me(OPLM).

Whether you had the chance to pilot The Jed Foundation's Raising Digitally Healthy Kids online course or are just curious, this session is for you! Join other parents and caregivers of tweens and teens to talk openly about how social media and online gaming affect our kids’ well-being. You will leave with practical, research-backed ideas for supporting healthy digital habits at home.

Register for FREE at https://oplm.com/upcoming-speakers/?meeting_id=29957 to join and receive a complimentary Other Parents Like Me newsletter! The newsletter features a variety of resources, including blogs, articles, and podcasts. Don't forget to check your Spam folder.

11/14/2025

The current policy landscape for schools is complex, with ongoing changes to Medicaid, shifting federal priorities, and increased scrutiny on programs.

Our upcoming webinar, "Navigating the Policy Landscape: Funding What Matters," will break down the latest challenges and offer strategic solutions to help you identify and secure the resources your schools need.

This session aims to reach K-12 education leaders.

📅 Wednesday, November 19, 2025
⏰ 2:30-3:30pm ET
📍Virtual

Register now and join us to learn how to confidently navigate the policy landscape and secure funding for your school's most critical initiatives. https://jedfoundation-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_n22GhOzRTeOFwgb5GT51SA

11/12/2025

Rohan Satija, JED’s Texas Youth Advocacy Coalition (YAC) Fellow, found belonging through storytelling and built a nonprofit that helps thousands of Texas students see themselves in what they read..

Read the full blog and discover why storytelling needs to be treated as an essential policy tool. https://jedfoundation.org/youth-advocacy-coalition-texas-rohan-satija/

11/12/2025

This fall, JED launched the Texas Mental Health Youth Advocacy Coalition (YAC) Fellowship Program—a paid, six-week advocacy training made possible by the generosity of the Trellis Foundation.

The Texas YAC fellowship addresses a critical need: ensuring that the voices of young people, those most affected by mental health challenges, are directly heard by policymakers.

The four members of our first cohort are already turning their lived experiences into powerful advocacy tools. They are:

⭐ Juan Garcia Jr. (Public Health, Tarleton State University)
⭐ Ivanna Sintes-Klein (Health Promotion, UT Austin)
⭐ Rachel Davis (Psychology, Texas A&M University Central Texas)
⭐ Rohan Satija (Psychology & Pre-med, UT Austin)

Learn more about Texas YAC Fellowship:

JED's Texas Youth Advocacy Coalition trains college students in mental health policy. Meet the fellows and see how they advocated on Capitol Hill.

11/11/2025

Today we honor all who have served. At JED, we’re especially mindful of young adults who serve our country.

Thank you for your service, your courage, and your continued contributions to our communities.