Local Philanthropy Funds Student Mental Health Scholarships for Texas Region 10 Districts

Selected districts will be guided through a comprehensive process to evaluate their current systems, identify student mental health needs, and enhance systems of support for all pre-K–12 students.

[January 15, 2026, New York, Virginia, and Texas] — Protecting students’ mental health and emotional well-being is crucial to their development and ability to thrive academically, socially, and in their future careers. Yet, building top-tier mental health systems in schools is complex and requires deep expertise. The Jed Foundation (JED), in partnership with AASA, The School Superintendents Association, and the Texas Region 10 Education Service Center, announced today the recipients of full scholarships to participate in the North Texas JED and AASA District Mental Health Initiative to strengthen their school mental health systems.

This two-year program is made possible in part through philanthropic support from the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the WoodNext Foundation, a component fund administered by Greater Houston Community Foundation. United Way is a social change organization that unites the community to create opportunities for all North Texans to thrive. The WoodNext Foundation manages the philanthropy of tech innovator and Roku CEO/founder Anthony Wood and his wife Susan, and one of WoodNext’s priorities is youth mental health. They have partnered with JED since 2023 to promote student mental health, and donated $3 million to implement JED’s school-based mental health support systems throughout Texas. 

Recent Texas data shows 17% of young people under 18 have experienced a mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental challenge, and Texas ranked nearly last in the United States for mental health care access. Nationwide, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 34.

“Ensuring the next generation of students across Texas have the resources they need to achieve their full potential is one of our core priorities,” said Nancy Chan, WoodNext Foundation’s Executive Director. “We’re proud to support JED, AASA, and the Texas Region 10 Education Service Center in strengthening and supporting school districts through vital, life-saving support for pre-K–12 students struggling with their emotional health.”

“At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we believe all students deserve the chance to thrive, dream big, and grow into the leaders of tomorrow,” said Susan Hoff, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ Chief Strategy and Impact Officer. “This work is rooted in partnership — it takes all of us, coming together, to create lasting systemic change. We’re proud to support JED, AASA, and the Texas Region 10 Education Service Center in driving meaningful, measurable progress in youth education, mental health, and well-being across north Texas.”

School districts across the country are currently facing budgetary constraints, which requires making tough decisions and often cuts to programming — this can result in setbacks to student mental health support. This unique partnership can serve as a potential scalable and replicable model for other districts to help leverage the power of local support through the  collaboration of national expertise and technical assistance. 

“Region 10 is proud to partner with JED and AASA in launching the North Texas District Mental Health Initiative. We are eager to contribute to their proven track record of success across the country by supporting our local school districts in building strong mental health systems that serve the needs of students, staff, and communities alike,” said Jennifer Farley, Region 10 Special Populations Program Coordinator for Mental and Behavioral Health.

Grounded in JED’s Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for Districts, the North Texas JED and AASA District Mental Health Initiative integrates recommended practices with field expertise to foster connected, thriving school communities and help make meaningful, sustainable, and measurable improvements in student well-being.  

“As a proud Texan, former school district leader, and current school programs leader at JED, I’ve witnessed the emotional health and academic challenges facing schools, administrators, teachers, students, and families across my home state and the country,” said Tony Walker, JED’s Senior Vice President of School Programs and Consulting. “We know there’s a clear link between students’ mental health challenges and their engagement in the classroom. JED, AASA, and the Texas Region 10 Education Service Center are pleased to provide financial scholarships and technical assistance to help positively reshape school mental health systems.”

Participating Region 10 districts will benefit from customized, strategic school mental health support and consultation from national experts. They will also engage in cohort-based learning with peer collaboration and have access to curated training sessions that meet requirements of the Texas legislated mandates (HB8/SB11) for school mental health.

“At AASA, we believe that every student deserves access to a safe, supportive, and emotionally healthy learning environment,” said David R. Schuler, Executive Director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association. “This initiative represents a powerful step forward in equipping school districts with the tools, guidance, and community partnerships necessary to build sustainable mental health systems. We are proud to collaborate with The Jed Foundation and Region 10 to support the well-being and success of students across North Texas.”

Seven districts, representing more than 170 schools and 116,900 pre-K–12 students, have confirmed their participation in the inaugural cohort of the North Texas JED and AASA District Mental Health Initiative, including:

• Commerce Independent School District (Commerce, Texas)
• Crandall Independent School District (Crandall, Texas)
• Garland Independent School District (Garland, Texas)
• Irving Independent School District (Irving, Texas)
• Scurry-Rosser Independent School District (Scurry, Texas)
• Sherman Independent School District (Sherman, Texas)

These districts were chosen based on their shared enthusiasm, focused approach, and support of students’ mental health. JED is dedicated to providing programs to all school districts, and more districts are expected to join this initiative in the near future. To learn more about our fee structure and opportunities for funding the JED and AASA District Mental Health Initiative in your school community, visit our website and complete the interest form. 

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About The Jed Foundation
JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools, colleges, school districts, and youth-serving community-based organizations to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.

Connect with JED: Email | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Snapchat | YouTube

About The WoodNext Foundation

The WoodNext Foundation manages the philanthropy of tech innovator and Roku CEO/Founder, Anthony Wood, and his wife Susan. Their philanthropic efforts are guided by their overall mission to advance human progress and remove obstacles to a fulfilling life. The WoodNext Foundation’s priorities include mental health, homelessness, scientific and biomedical research, disaster recovery, and economic opportunity with a focus on addressing root causes. As the Woods have strong ties to Texas, WoodNext’s domestic grant making has a particular focus on strengthening communities across the southern United States.

About United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas is a social change organization that unites the community to create opportunity and access for all North Texans to thrive. We bring together passionate change-makers alongside corporate, civic and nonprofit partners to drive lasting change in education, income and health—the building blocks of opportunity. We encourage every North Texan to join this movement and Live United. 

About AASA, The School Superintendents Association
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org

About Region 10 Education Service Center
We are one of 20 regional service centers established by the Texas State Legislature in 1967 for the purpose of delivering professional development and a range of other innovative solutions. Our consultants provide services at our offices in Richardson as well as in field locations across the Region 10 area. We proudly serve more than 890,000 students and 118,000 school staff, of which 60,000 are teachers in over 130 ISDs, charters and private schools across 10 north Texas counties.

Media Contact
Justin Barbo
Director, Public Relations
The Jed Foundation
Justin@jedfoundation.org

Robin Kelly Chandler
Public Relations
WoodNext Foundation
howdy@woodnext.org

Lara Wade
Communications Director
AASA, The School Superintendents Association
lwade@aasa.org

Rachel Frost
Chief Communications Officer
Texas Region 10 Education Service Center
rachel.frost@region10.org