The Cook Center for Human Connection was founded by Greg and Julie Cook in 2020 to support children, families, and schools in eradicating suicide. The Cook Center provides tools that include My Life Is Worth Living™, the first animated series about teen mental health and suicide prevention; and Parentguidance.org, a free resource that helps parents find answers to help their children. Their content is led by therapists who provide specialized courses, professional support, and a safe community of parents helping each other.
Stand 4 Kind will integrate both My Life Is Worth Living and Parentguidance.org into the training programs it offers to schools, teachers, students, and families.
“We are proud to partner with Stand 4 Kind to continue our mission of supporting youth mental health and preventing suicide,” said Greg Cook. “By empowering parents, teachers, and teens with much-needed resources, we hope to create a community of support to overcome a scarcity of therapists. Teen mental health is a national crisis, and we share the belief that helping young people feel a sense of human connection is essential to showing them that their lives truly are worth living. ”
In addition to curriculum covering topics that include preventing bullying and suicide while promoting kindness and acceptance, Stand 4 Kind offers professional development for teachers, parent training, student workshops, and ambassador clubs. Each year, Stand 4 Kind reaches 800,000 students in 2,000 schools across the nation.
“The Cook Center is the perfect partner for us,” said Stand 4 Kind’s Board Chair Jay Francis. “Our mission and values align so well that it is a natural partnership. I look forward to working together to make a real difference in the lives of young people throughout Utah and across the country. When we remember that it’s about the kids, partnering just makes sense.”
About the Cook Center for Human Connection
The mission of the Cook Center is to bring together the best organizations, programs, and products to prevent suicide, provide mental health support, and enhance the human connections vital for people to thrive. The foundation’s current focus is on supporting children, families, and schools with youth mental health resources and on the goal of eradicating suicide. This work is accomplished through various grants to schools, programs for parents, and global resources to bring greater awareness to the support needed for those affected by mental health needs and suicide. Learn more at CookCenterforHumanConnection.org or MyLifeIsWorthLiving.org.