The state of Mississippi is collaborating with a local nonprofit organization to offer solutions for youth enduring mental health struggles.
A $16 million partnership between the Mississippi Development Authority and Canopy Children’s Solutions will serve to launch “Canopy Anywhere,” a youth mental health approach designed for students in grades 6-12 that identifies children’s needs in real time.
Canopy Anywhere can be accessed via devices already provided to students in schools, creating an effective, lower-cost method for improving student mental health. The platform, according to Gov. Tate Reeves, provides:
- Evidence-based hope curriculum that strengthens emotional wellness and goal-setting.
- Self-guided digital tools and weekly wellness lessons.
- Tech-enabled care navigation that connects students and caregivers to real-time support.
- Resource navigation for families.
- Clinical screening and assessments when deeper support is needed.
“Mississippi has momentum in the classroom, and this new partnership will help keep it that way. Our kids deserve the very best education we can give them. Emotional and mental health play a major role in students’ academic success, and that’s why this initiative is so important,” Reeves said. “This transformative project aligns with the state’s mission to address lingering effects of the pandemic, and it offers an innovative, cost-effective pathway to recovery while building a sustainable model for broader adoption in Mississippi.”
Canopy Anywhere was developed to meet urgent and rising needs in children’s mental health. Nationwide, the percentage of adolescents reporting at least one major depressive episode in the past year increased nearly 90%, with three million having serious thoughts of suicide.
Nearly 33% of high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Canopy Anywhere was initially piloted in select schools of the Madison County School District. In 2024, 143 of the 628 students who participated in the program were identified with immediate mental health needs and connected to in-person support.
This project currently supports 29 public school districts in low and moderate-income areas, with federal funding administered by the state and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The school districts are:
- Biloxi Public School District
- Claiborne County School District
- Clarksdale Municipal School District
- Coahoma County School District
- Corinth School District
- East Tallahatchie Consolidated School District
- Greenville Public School District
- Greenwood-Leflore Consolidated School District
- Gulfport School District
- Hattiesburg Public School District
- Holmes Consolidated School District
- Humphreys County School District
- Jackson Public School District
- McComb School District
- Meridian Public School District
- Natchez-Adams School District
- North Bolivar Consolidated School District
- North Panola School District
- North Tippah School District
- Quitman County School District
- South Delta School District
- Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District
- Sunflower County Consolidated School District
- Tunica County School District
- West Bolivar Consolidated School District
- West Tallahatchie School District
- Wilkinson County School District
- Winona-Montgomery Consolidated District
- Yazoo City Municipal School District
“We are deeply grateful to Governor Reeves and the Mississippi Development Authority for fueling Canopy Anywhere and prioritizing the mental wellness of Mississippi’s children,” Canopy Children’s Solutions CEO Dr. John D. Damon said. “This bold investment honors our 113-year legacy and empowers a more hopeful generation for Mississippi’s future.”
