Children and youth need safe, healthy places where they can learn and grow. Yet many young people face challenges, including substance abuse, bullying, and mental health problems, that hurt their chances of success. Some young children don't learn the social-emotional skills they will need to help them thrive in school and throughout life. The 3 Bold Steps are a proven process for addressing these and other problems, even in a climate of shrinking resources. Look here for how you can take 3 Bold Steps to make real progress on the issues facing the children and youth in your community.

Boy sitting with head on his knees

No community is “safe” from the devastating effects of childhood bullying—but you can take effective, positive steps toward preventing bullying and stopping it when it occurs. Bullying can occur any place where kids connect, so prevention demands a communitywide response that will address the needs of all the children and youth involved. 

Teacher working with a young student

Children’s early experiences and relationships are strongly connected to their future social, emotional, and intellectual success. With a coalition of educators, parents, and advocates in your community who are eager to cultivate social and emotional learning in early childhood, you can nurture every child’s healthy growth.

Happy little girl lying in the grass

School is one of the places where we can offer children and youth the supports they need to be mentally healthy and resilient. A range of supports, offered by a partnership of school and community providers, will promote the mental wellness that improves students’ ability to learn.

Troubled teen on the street

To combat substance abuse, it is essential to establish cross-sector efforts to change the environment in which children and youth make choices about alcohol and other drugs. Combining school and community programming can get kids the services they need and create lasting environmental change so that substance abuse is neither fostered nor accepted.