Joel Yanowitz

WorldBeing supports marginalized and vulnerable youth, particularly girls and young women, to build the skills to access their inner well-being—so they can transform their life trajectories and forge a path for themselves and future generations. Cultivating inner well-being is a foundational step in helping youth to thrive—one which is often missing in development programs worldwide. Inner well-being is key to global well-being: our evidence-based programs impact not only emotional health, but also physical health, education, and gender equality. Research has shown that the skills of mental health and inner well-being—such as self-discovery, agency, and resilience—are key to unlocking the aspirations of young people so they can change their circumstances and thrive. Amplifying self-agency, unleashing potential, and holding a powerful mirror to inner strengths, we focus our efforts on marginalized, economically disadvantaged, and underserved youth, giving them the tools to flourish despite significant challenges. WorldBeing's approach has proven feasible, effective, and scalable. Our evidence-based programs have served over 200,000 at-risk youth in vulnerable communities in low and middle-income countries around the world. And with recent agreements in place with the governments of India and Kenya, we are on track to train 5 million young people per year by 2025 in the skills of inner well-being. Our 15 years of innovation and rigorous research has led to well-documented impacts on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 4: Quality Education, and SDG 5: Gender Equality. WorldBeing's programs are the product of participatory adaptation processes to ensure local relevance and feasibility. All WorldBeing programs also undergo rigorous evaluations.