Annual Awards Recognize Innovative Companies and Projects Addressing the World’s Most Urgent Challenges

SEATTLE (June 10, 2025) — The Youth Mental Health Corps (YMHC) is proud to announce that it has been named an honoree of Fast Company’s 2025 World Changing Ideas Awards. This annual recognition honors bold and transformative efforts that tackle the world’s most pressing issues—from fresh sustainability initiatives and cutting-edge AI developments to ambitious pursuits of social equity that are helping mold the world.

The YMHC, conceived by the Schultz Family Foundation and Pinterest, brings together the public, private, and philanthropic sectors to expand access to youth mental health support nationwide and create lasting career pathways for young people. At the heart of the YMHC are its Corps members—young adults ages 18 to 24 who serve as peer and near-peer mental health navigators. Drawing upon their personal experiences and in-service training, members build trust with, mentor, and connect young people to essential mental health resources. 

In its inaugural year (2024–25), more than 300 Youth Mental Health Corps members have served in schools, community clinics, and youth-serving organizations—directly supporting nearly 10,000 young people at 165 sites across 11 states. In 2025, the program will expand to 18 states. Early research suggests that Corps presence in schools was associated with improved attendance, fewer behavioral incidents, and increased student awareness of mental health and help-seeking behavior.

“We are honored that the Youth Mental Health Corps is being recognized in this year’s World Changing Ideas Awards.” said Vivek Varma, ceo and vice hair of the Schultz Family Foundation. “By mobilizing young adults to serve in schools, clinics, and community centers across the U.S., members are delivering timely support to young people while strengthening local capacity. It’s a smart, cost-effective model meeting urgent needs today while investing in the workforce we’ll rely on tomorrow.”

The YMHC works in partnership with state service commissions, host organizations, and local leaders to ensure the program is community-driven and tailored to regional needs. Beyond the immediate support to young people, the Youth Mental Health Corps invests in the future of its Corps members by providing them with valuable hands-on experience in the behavioral health field. By offering access to certifications, training, and higher education opportunities, the YMHC equips members with the skills and credentials necessary for long-term careers in the mental health sector, which works to combat the national shortage of behavioral health professionals. 

"Supporting youth mental health and emotional well-being requires collective action across both public and private sectors,” said Wanji Walcott, Chief Legal and Business Affairs Officer at Pinterest. “We're honored that Fast Company has recognized the work of the Youth Mental Health Corps to provide youth-led mental health resources and meet young people where they are. Pinterest is committed to creating an inspirational and positive online experience for young people, and we'll continue to push tirelessly to drive this critical work forward."

For this year’s awards, a panel of Fast Company editors and reporters selected winners from a pool of more than 1,500 entries and judged applications based on their impact, sustainability, design, creativity, scalability, and ability to improve society. To learn more, visit www.fastcompany.com. 

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About the Schultz Family Foundation

The Schultz Family Foundation's mission is to create greater opportunity, accessible to all. Our work is deeply rooted in the lives and values of our co-founders, Sheri and Howard Schultz, who believe talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We seek to apply the lessons they have learned over the decades to seed innovations and scale solutions to help young people successfully navigate the transition to adulthood and positively impact the trajectory of their lives. We are investors in unleashing potential and unlocking opportunity, working in partnership with employers, entrepreneurs, non-profits, and governments that share our aspiration of enabling everyone to access the full promise of America. Learn more at: www.schultzfamilyfoundation.org

About Pinterest

Pinterest is a visual search and discovery platform where people find inspiration, curate ideas, and shop products—all in a positive place online. Headquartered in San Francisco, Pinterest launched in 2010 and has over half a billion monthly active users worldwide.