Upstream Education

In honor of one of our favorite Upstream tools, Three Wins: what are three wins you can claim for 2025? ✨

A few of ours are:
1. We unexpectedly grew our school partnerships by 30% this year and now serve 82,500 students! 🥳

2. In March, we visited one of our early partners, , for the first time and got to meet some of our Student Task Force members in-person including ! We may have cried when we first hugged their VP of Academics, Jennifer Thomas.

3. This fall, we welcomed Moriah Proyect as a full-time member of the Upstream team and Chris Sanborn as our fractional COO! Watch out 2026 for this truly dream team ❤️

Other notable wins include: attending the Social Innovation Summit and meeting the incredible mental health leader, ; raising donations and giving giftcards to families at Lake Middle School because we know food access and mental health are inextricably linked; having an in-person board meeting in NYC! We could go on and on…thank you, 2025!

Today filled our heart. 💙

Families at were in urgent need of food and essentials — and thanks to our generous donors, we delivered food and 40 gift cards to help.

It also happened to be Dress Like Carly Day — and somehow, showed up matching their soon-to-be principal (without knowing it!).

This is what community looks like.
Showing up, together.

If Upstream schools need help supporting families, please reach out and we’ll do what we can!

Upstream Education is thrilled to announce we've received a grant from All Points North Foundation to provide our program and professional development to 12 middle schools during the 2025-26 school year. During the academic year, these schools will use our bite-sized, Tier 1 Mental Health tools in their academic classes, enrichment classes, or advisory periods. Last week, we kicked off the grant by providing professional development to one of our newest partner schools, Montbello Middle School in Denver, CO.

To learn more about All Points North Foundation, please visit: https://bit.ly/3JCiiXv

With the school year approaching, our Student Task Force took time to explore simple and effective ways to stay grounded and energized throughout the day. ✨

We were so lucky to be joined by the incredible , who led us through a calming chair yoga session! This is perfect for quick stretches, breathwork, and mindful resets between classes or meetings. 🪑

Thanks, Amanda, for helping us care for our bodies as we continue to lead with purpose and presence! 💛

Last week, we attended the Social Innovation Summit and left feeling extremely grateful for the humans investing in youth mental health and well-being. A special gratitude to of l who has been a leader in advocating for a greater investment in global mental health. Through a synthesis of findings, Prospira identified a substantial global financing gap for mental health18, estimated to be around $200 billion USD.

Shoutout to Jessie Morgan at DSST GVR High School!
For the past 5 years, Jessie has been a steady and passionate leader of Upstream at GVR—helping her students explore tools for mental wellness both in and beyond the classroom. Her commitment to offering meaningful wellness options and creating a supportive, reflective space for her students is truly inspiring. We’re so grateful for the care, consistency, and heart she brings to this work!✨

Got pre-test jitters? Here's a solution. 💛
Creating a Happy Bank is a science-backed way to perform well under pressure. Here's how to make one in under 6 minutes:
✨ Happy Bank Tool
Start with 3 deep breaths.
Ask students to list their happiest moments.
📝 A funny story
🐾 A walk with a furry friend
🥳 A proud achievement
🤗 Time with loved ones
Have them save the list and revisit before big tests.
🧠 Positive emotions boost creativity, problem-solving, and calm.

🎥 What we’ve been up to this week: capturing the impact of our Mental Health Changemakers Fellowship on video!

We kicked off the week in Greenville, SC at the incredible —a long-time partner with two current fellows on their team. The joy and creativity in that school is something special, and it was an honor to highlight their story.

Then it was back to Colorado to interview savinay nathan from the , whose early support helped launch the Fellowship back in 2020. We also interviewed one of our inaugural fellows, Eddie Chavez, of .

This trip reminded us just how powerful relationships are. We’re grateful to partner with schools and funders that care deeply about the well-being of both educators and students.

Stay tuned for the final video—we can’t wait to share it with you! 💙

📣 As 2025 unfolds, we’re embracing reflection and finding joy in the little things. Inspired by visionary leader Natalie Kuhn () and her Unrecognized Forms of Self-Care list, we’re adding:
✨ Drinking water
✨ Making your bed
✨ Sending unsolicited gratitude notes
✨ Taking a deep breath before replying
✨ Saying “no” without guilt
✨ Watching the sunrise or sunset
✨ Celebrating small wins (like folding laundry!)
💬 What would you add to this list? Let’s start the year by embracing grace and kindness toward ourselves.

Wishing our Upstream community a holiday filled with health, happiness, and well-deserved rest! 💙✨

Upstream isn’t just for students! Our Personal Practice Toolkit for Educators helps teachers prioritize their own well-being too. Self-care isn’t selfish! 🧘‍♀️
Photo by Max Fischer

Last month, our founder, Tessa Zimmerman, was featured as a panelist during the ‘Access, Innovation, and Advocacy in the Digital Age’ session at ! As we look towards the future, we’re excited to continue conversations with fellow industry leaders about leveraging technology to make mental health resources more accessible for all students.