CHICAGO, IL — July 22, 2026 — Today, Speak Now, a global youth-led mental health organization spanning over 13 countries, officially announced the launch of its worldwide Chapters Program. Designed to mobilize students and young leaders, the initiative empowers youth to spearhead peer-driven mental health education, deliver vetted coping resources, and lead advocacy initiatives tailored to their local communities.
Founded by youth advocates with lived experience, Speak Now has built an international network alongside major global partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Foundation, Steve Madden, Kindness.org, the Tourette Association of America, and the Born This Way Foundation. Through landmark Illinois mental health education and universal mental health screenings efforts, Speak Now’s advocacy efforts have already connected more than 1.5 million children and youth to essential care and life-saving mental health resources.
“Mental health support works best when it comes from peers who actually understand what students are going through,” said Abhinav Anne, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Speak Now and WHO Youth Council member. “Youth mental health isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our team spans different countries, languages, and lived experiences, and we built this program to reflect the actual diversity of the communities we serve.”
“In a world where most organizations are trying to increase awareness, I think it’s most important for our chapters to be proactive,” said Ashton Liang, Chief Program and Strategy Officer of Speak Now. “We’ve gone past awareness. What we need is action. We need people to actively implement initiatives that reshape their communities, and only then can we build a world that prioritizes mental health.”
Through the program, chapter leaders get step-by-step toolkits and direct mentorship to run workshops, organize local policy initiatives, and launch peer support projects right in their schools and towns. Members connect directly with young advocates, researchers, and advisors around the world, getting full access to translated mental health guides, advocacy toolkits, and practical resources that help them build real, lasting care systems. Every student is fully backed with the guidance and tools they need—because creating real change for mental health starts by speaking now.
Get Involved
Youth, student leaders, educators, and community members eager to support or start a local chapter can apply today through the Chapter Application Form. Existing mental health clubs not affiliated with Speak Now may also become a chapter without removing any of their internal infrastructure.
If you would like to feature Speak Now or learn more about our team, mission, and the Chapters Program, we would deeply appreciate the opportunity to share our work with your audience. Please kindly email us using the media contact below.
To learn more about Speak Now, explore global initiatives, or view program materials, visit togetherwespeaknow.org.
About Speak Now
Operating across 13+ countries, Speak Now is a youth-led global initiative dedicated to expanding mental health literacy, improving language and access equity, and embedding youth leadership across mental health systems. Our diversity and coalition of unique experiences allow us to serve as a critical access point to underrepresented communities, and our efforts have pioneered HB2960, the BEACON behavioral portal, and, crucially, the passage of SB1560, which expanded access to universal mental health screenings to 1.5+ million youth.
Media Contact:
Ashton Liang, Chief Program and Strategy Officer
Email: info@togetherwespeaknow.org
Website: togetherwespeaknow.org