In 2021, more than 4 in 10 (42%) students felt persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third (29%) experienced poor mental health.

The Ronald A. Burgess Jr. Foundation, Inc empowers underrepresented students (grades 6-12) and teens 13-18 to reach their full potential through SEL resilience building programs/workshops, mentorship, story-telling conferences; we provide hybrid innovative and motivational intervention programs and student motivators programs for students and youth/teen organizations; our mission is to "Strengthen our communities, by empowering the students and teens within." We equip teens/students with tools that support them in improving their self-esteem, while building mental, physical, sustainable resiliency, self-confidence and academic success.