Movember and Laureus USA take on youth mental health in historically underfunded communities

Movember and Laureus USA announce Partnership

On October 24th, at a townhall meeting in Chicago, Laureus USA and Movember united to announce their partnership to fund youth development programs in historically ignored and underfunded communities. The event brought together dozens of organizations working to serve the Chicago community, local community leaders, youth development organizations, and mental health practitioners to discuss the intersection of sports and mental health, with a focus on supporting both young people and the practitioners who work with them.

Dedicated to improving the lives of young people in underfunded communities:

Laureus USA is a non-profit organization dedicated to using the power of sport to improve the lives of young people in underfunded communities and drive social change. Since 2012, Laureus USA has impacted the lives of over one million youth by investing $33 million in sports-based youth development organizations around the country that unleash the power of sport to enhance physical and mental health, improve educational and employment outcomes, and address critical social justice issues.

Laureus USA is a member of the global Laureus network, which includes 7 National Laureus Sport for Good Foundations, 1 Global Foundation, the Laureus World Sports Academy (and Ambassadors), and the Laureus World Sports Awards. Globally, Laureus funds, supports, develops, and implements initiatives that use sport to create equality, access and opportunity.

Laureus' Sport for Good Cities initiative, now in eight cities globally, ensures more young people have access to high quality, sports-based youth development programs that help them reach their full potential – in the US, our Sport for Good Cities are Chicago, Atlanta, New York, and New Orleans.

Movember’s investment in youth mental health

Movember is investing $750,000 into Laureus’ Sport for Good Chicago coalition. Movember’s funding will focus on grants to community-based organizations to provide sport and youth development programming for young people aged 12-18. The Sport for Good Chicago coalition identifies local challenges and uses sport to address them – promoting youth empowerment and community-driven policy change.

Laureus USA has made significant strides in closing the equity gap in sports. The Sport for Good Chicago coalition has secured over $10 million in state appropriations over the past three years, which has helped broaden opportunities for historically ignored and underfunded communities and amplified the impact of their youth sports initiatives.

Historical barriers to access hinder positive mental health

Youth in historically underfunded communities face significant barriers to accessing sports, which can be a powerful tool for fostering mental health and personal development. Movember’s funding will provide critical support to community-based organizations and coalitions in Chicago, helping young men overcome these barriers and gain access to sports and mental health resources.

Leveraging sports for good in Chicago

Sport for Good Chicago is a coalition launched by Laureus Sport for Good USA in 2017. They are made up of more than 100 organizations that use sport intentionally towards youth and community change. Together, they work towards a vision for Chicago where every young person has access to high-quality, youth-centered sports experiences in their neighborhood by building stronger, more connected leaders; increasing resources for and creating better policies around youth sport; and growing evidence and awareness for sport as a solution. You can learn more about Laureus USA at LaureusUSA.com.