Mattering Movement

THE MATTERING MOVEMENT ANSWERS THE QUESTION: WHAT CAN WE DO TO COMBAT THE PANDEMIC OF LONELINESS AND DESPAIR THAT ARE HARMING OUR YOUTH? HOW CAN WE COMBAT TODAY’S WIDESPREAD MATTERING DEFICIT? 

Amidst growing concerns about the mental health epidemic sweeping their community, a group of concerned citizens gathered on a cold, December day in New York City to talk about a grassroots movement for change. The group included experienced leaders across sectors - educators, business leaders, historians, medical professionals, journalists, media executives, and philanthropists. The conversation revealed concerns about achievement culture, the loneliness epidemic, the fragmentation of community connectedness, and a vision for a world where service to others could take center stage in people’s lives, rather than the anxiety-ridden race for personal achievement. Driven by an urgency for change, the Mattering Movement was born.

Bringing together their deep expertise, founders Jennie B. Wallace, Dr. Sarah Bennison, Kimberly Kravis and Kim Towner, along with a team of top academic advisors and advisory council members, are committed to providing adults and youth with the tools and skills they need to build meaningful community, to buffer against stress and anxiety, and make a positive impact on the world. 

What kids need from the adults in their lives is not more pressure, but to feel like they matter. As a journalist and author of Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic - and What We Can Do About It, Jennie Wallace has published robust research on the importance of mattering in adolescence. As an educational leader and activist, Dr. Sarah Bennison has developed thought-leading programs and curriculum to engage individuals in meaningful, sustainable service and social impact work and has seen its transformative power. Rooted in our research and action-based approach, the Mattering Movement allows individuals of all ages to put mattering into action. Join us.