Imagine Learning Foundation Announces $200,000 in Inaugural Signature Grants to Erika's Lighthouse and Up2Us Sports

Innovative National Organizations Align with the Foundation's Mission to Support Learner Well-Being Beyond the Classroom

First Step in Deploying $5 Million of Initial Funding Commitments

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine Learning Foundation, the philanthropic initiative created by Imagine Learning, the largest provider of digital curriculum solutions in the United States, today announced two inaugural Signature Grants of $100,000 each to Erika's Lighthouse and Up2Us Sports.

With an initial funding commitment of $5 million, the Imagine Learning Foundation was created with one principal goal: to foster the well-being of learners and the people who support them at home and in their communities. The two winners emerged after a careful review of many worthy applicants, each with compelling proposals designed to support social and emotional learning beyond the classroom and in their communities.

"When we envisioned the Imagine Learning Foundation, our Imagine Learning staff chose to focus on supporting organizations that are making a difference in the lives of students and families outside the classroom," said Jonathan Grayer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Imagine Learning. "It has never been more critical to address the mental health and well-being of students, both inside and outside the classroom. The first two grant recipients that the Foundation board selected are the perfect partners to advance the Foundation's mission."

Erika's Lighthouse, founded in 2004, is a Chicago-based national not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and educating youth, their families, and the community about adolescent depression, encouraging good mental health, and breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

The grant awarded to Erika's Lighthouse will fund a variety of new, updated and expanded Family Engagement resources including a Family Handbook, a series of Family Workshops, and educational videos. These materials will be designed to educate families about youth depression, crisis intervention, and best practices for helping their children navigate their mental health.

"Our goal is to create a shared vocabulary around mental health in school communities among students, educators, and families—so that everyone has the knowledge to have conversations about youth mental health," said Brandon Combs, Executive Director of Erika's Lighthouse. "These resources allow schools to engage and educate families on mental health, adolescent depression, and suicide. By extending learning outside of the classroom, we can ensure young people have the support they need in school, home and the wider community."

Up2Us Sports, founded in 2010, is a New York City-based national not-for-profit organization dedicated to engaging, training, and supporting youth sports coaches to transform programs and communities. Up2Us Sports is the only national service program that leverages sports and trained coaches to increase health equity and promote greater social and emotional well-being for youth across the United States.

The grant awarded to Up2Us Sports will fund the first major national research study to measure the impact of sports-based youth development (SBYD) programming on social and emotional skill development. This study will help inform the growth of SBYD as a proven methodology for fostering social and emotional skills in schools across the country.

"Up2Us Sports is proud to be an inaugural grantee of the Imagine Learning Foundation," said Paul Caccamo, Founder and CEO of Up2Us Sports. "Their support will enable us to conduct groundbreaking research on the impact of youth sports coaches in fostering social-emotional learning skills that are critical to academic success. Partnering with Imagine Learning will not only provide us with the financial resources to carry out this study, but it will also enable us to be part of their team of professionals who are dedicated to ensuring that all educators have the tools to foster the potential of their students."

"Erika's Lighthouse and Up2Us Sports have proven track records of delivering impact through innovative and immersive engagement with students, families, and communities," said Chris Graham, Chairman and President of the Imagine Learning Foundation. "Our funding will help them expand their reach and extend the positive impact that they are having on learners and their support systems. We are looking forward to long-term relationships with our new partners. This is just the beginning."

A portion of the Foundation's funds are reserved for Grassroots Grants, employee-recommended regional organizations that focus on learner well-being and digital education equity in out-of-classroom learning spaces within Imagine Learning employees' local communities.

To learn more about the Imagine Learning Foundation and the Imagine Signature Grant winners, visit imaginelearningfoundation.org.

About Imagine Learning Foundation
Imagine Learning Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on fostering the well-being of learners and the people who support them at home and in their communities. Established in 2021, the Imagine Learning Foundation funds a variety of grants to mission-aligned national non-profit organizations that support initiatives to foster well-being of youth, families, and educators with an emphasis on accelerating student achievement. Imagine Learning Foundation is the philanthropic initiative of Imagine Learning, the largest provider of digital curriculum solutions in the U.S. Additional information is available at imaginelearningfoundation.org.

About Erika's Lighthouse
Erika's Lighthouse is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about adolescent depression, encouraging good mental health, and breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Depression is a major risk factor for teen suicide. The organization works to eliminate the stigma surrounding depression and empower young people to take ownership of their mental health. Programs include We All Have Mental Health, for grades 4-6; Depression Awareness for grades 5-9; and Depression Education and Suicide Awareness for high school students. In addition to classroom education programs, Erika's Lighthouse also offers family engagement resources, Teen Empowerment clubs, and school policy and staff training. To learn more and access online resources, visit erikaslighthouse.org.

About Up2Us Sports
Established in 2010, Up2Us Sports is the nationwide leader in engaging and training sports-based youth development coaches, practitioners, and organizations to address the most pressing issues facing youth in under-resourced urban communities. Up2Us Sports does this through the following programs: Up2Us Coach, Up2Us VISTA, and Up2Us Training. Up2Us Sports' research, training and on-the-ground initiatives empower sports programs across the country to become a united force for meaningful change. To date, Up2Us Sports has reached nearly 650,000 youth by placing almost 4,300 coaches and capacity building service members in underserved urban communities. More information is available at up2ussports.org.

SOURCE Imagine Learning Foundation