Adult wellness isn’t just about stress relief—it’s a critical foundation for student wellbeing. The Youth Health Collaborative centers adult wellness because educators and youth-serving professionals cannot sustainably support young people without first having the tools, capacity, and support to care for themselves and one another.

What this can look like in everyday practice:

• Wellness works best when it’s collective, not another individual task to manage—shared norms, peer support, and leadership modeling matter
• Small, built-in moments count, such as brief regulation breaks, intentional check-ins, or space to acknowledge wins and challenges
• Choice matters—effective wellness honors different roles, cultures, and needs rather than relying on one-size-fits-all approaches
• Time and access are essential—wellness is most impactful when it’s embedded into routines and structures, not added on top of already full plates

Through shared learning and cross-sector collaboration, the Youth Health Collaborative is working to elevate adult wellness as a system-level priority—because when adults are supported, school climate improves, staff are more likely to stay, and students feel the difference every day.

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