In a November 19 news release, MaineHealth's Center for Health Improvement announced a groundbreaking $1.6 million donation from Maine entrepreneur and impact activist David Evans Shaw to launch the SHAW Challenge, a comprehensive four-year initiative designed to transform how Maine communities address the youth mental health crisis.

As part of a larger effort to support youth mental health, Shaw provided additional funding to the Hearts of Pine Foundation to expand after-school wellness programming, building upon Hearts’ existing soccer impact programming, as well as support to the University of New England for its Shaw Innovation Fellows Program that will create new pathways for student innovators to contribute solutions to the youth mental health crisis.

RSU 20 - Searsport Public Schools, in Waldo County, and Wiscasset School Department, in Lincoln County, are two of the participating school districts.

The SHAW Challenge represents a bold departure from traditional crisis-response models, instead applying proven public health strategies to build mental wellness, resilience and supportive school environments across seven Maine school districts serving thousands of students, according to MaineHealth, in the news release.

“Maine's children are our most precious resource, and they're facing a mental health crisis that requires immediate, coordinated action,” said David Evans Shaw, founder of Black Point Group, IDEXX Laboratories and other successful organizations. “By investing in evidence-based programs through MaineHealth, grassroots community work through Hearts of Pine and empowering the next generation of innovators through the Shaw Innovation Fellows Program, we're building a comprehensive approach that strengthens mental health awareness, resilience and wellbeing for every young person in our schools."

Across the nation—and here in Maine—youth mental health has reached crisis levels, according to the release. One in three Maine youth report feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness, and one in five have seriously considered suicide. Youth mental health emerged as the top priority in the most recent Community Health Needs Assessment, that is used by hospital organizations to guide their investments in community well-being.

While many programs exist—such as mental health skill-building curricula and school-based counseling—schools have consistently expressed the need for a coordinated 'one-stop shop' that organizes and integrates these efforts. The SHAW Challenge answers that call.

“The SHAW Challenge represents a turning point in how we respond to this crisis,” said Dr. Dora Anne Mills, Chief Health Improvement Officer at MaineHealth. “We're taking a public health approach—not just reacting to crises, but proactively building resilience and skills, strengthening connections and improving mental wellbeing for all young people.”

Launching in January, the initiative will pursue five core goals using proven public health strategies across seven participating school districts:

1. Foundational Understanding: Facilitated conversations orienting youth and families to mental wellness
2. Social Infrastructure: Peer-led social connectivity, emotional health promotion and suicide prevention through the Sources of Strength program
3. Protective Factors: Implementation of a School Cellphone Policy, with resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics
4. Skills for Mental Health: Curricula to enhance wellbeing skills
5. Capacity to Respond: Training in Mental Health First Aid to address mental health and substance use challenges 

Preliminary participating school districts include:

• Wiscasset School Department (Lincoln County)

1. RSU 20 - Searsport Public Schools (Waldo County)
2. Brunswick School Department (Cumberland County)
3. MSAD 17 - Oxford Hills School District (Oxford County)
4. RSU 73 - Spruce Mountain Regional School District (Franklin County)
5. Sanford School Department (York County)
6. Biddeford School Department (York County) 

These schools were chosen based on MaineHealth’s capacity to serve them. However, the desire is to expand this program beyond this pilot phase to other school districts that want to participate.

The initiative's strength lies in its collaborative approach, bringing together healthcare expertise, community engagement, student innovation and education leadership.

Hearts of Pine Foundation will expand its after-school soccer programming in elementary and/or middle schools within participating districts, creating safe, engaging spaces where young people can build connections and develop emotional, social and leadership skills through joyful, collaborative play.

“These after-school programs recognize the power that soccer has to be a tool for emotional, social, and communal development in the lives of Maine’s youth,” said Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, founder of Portland Hearts of Pine and the Hearts of Pine Foundation. “We’ve already seen the incredible results of these programs with Rosati in Lewiston and the Soccer Project here in Portland. To be working alongside David Shaw, MaineHealth and schools across Maine, we’re thrilled to expand the ways in which we use this game for good.”

The University of New England's Shaw Innovation Fellows Program will offer internships with the SHAW Challenge, enabling student innovators to apply their creativity and skills to real-world mental health challenges.

“Innovation is at the heart of UNE's mission to improve lives and communities,” said James Herbert, Ph.D., President of the University of New England. “The Shaw Innovation Fellows will bring fresh perspectives and entrepreneurial thinking to this critical challenge, while gaining invaluable experience in applying their education to solve problems that matter deeply to Maine families.”

School leaders welcome the comprehensive, coordinated approach.

“The mental health and well-being of our students is of the utmost importance.,” said Jeremy Ray, superintendent of Biddeford School Department. “The SHAW Challenge provides our schools with invaluable resources, training, and community support to address these critical issues head-on. By fostering collaborative partnerships, we can create nurturing environments where all students have the opportunity to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. This initiative is precisely the kind of comprehensive approach our education system values to support our students.”

Beyond the seven initial districts, the SHAW Challenge will convene a statewide Shaw Youth Public Mental Health Council in December, bringing together partners from across Maine—including NAMI Maine, state agencies, Maine Youth Thriving and others—to learn from one another, communicate about this emerging field and coordinate efforts to maximize impact.

About MaineHealth

MaineHealth is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America,” and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. MaineHealth includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. MaineHealth hospitals include MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital in Norway and MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast. MaineHealth also includes the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland, MaineHealth Behavioral Health in Westbrook, MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice in Saco, the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, the MaineHealth Medical Group and MaineHealth NorDx in Scarborough. MaineHealth affiliates include MaineGeneral Health in Augusta and Waterville and St. Mary's Health System in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.

About David Evans Shaw and Black Point Group

David Evans Shaw is CEO of Black Point Group, with wide-ranging interests in technology companies, impact investing and public service activism. His business creation, leadership, investment, and board experience includes more than a dozen successful technology companies, employing more than 20,000 people worldwide.

Shaw’s career has included extensive public service in science, arts, conservation and public policy via Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, the MIT Media Lab, the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum, The Jackson Laboratory, Maime Medical Center, American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Park Foundation, National Geographic Society and other organizations. He has been awarded six honorary degrees, named International Seakeeper of the Year, inducted into the Life Science Hall of Fame, Teddy Roosevelt Society and other honors. He is a grandfather of 12, a survivor of viral encephalitis, a prolific filmmaker and author of a recent book: Wave Making: Inspired By Impact.

Learn more about David Evans Shaw and the Black Point Group here: https://www.blackpointgroup.com/team-member/david-e-shaw/ 

About Hearts of Pine Foundation

The Hearts of Pine Foundation is the 501c3 arm of Portland Hearts of Pine, The Soccer Club of Maine. The foundation exists to do as much good as possible in the city and state we call home, using soccer as our tool for good—a convener across culture and class, a cultivator of joy, camaraderie, and common identity. The Hearts of Pine Foundation's impact programming focuses on combatting isolation and loneliness, developing social and emotional skills, and creating opportunities for positive outcomes through the power of soccer and community. Learn more about the Foundation and its Impact Programming here: https://www.heartsofpine.com/community/ 

About the University of New England Shaw Fellows Program

The Shaw Innovation Fellows Program, established in 2021 through generous support from David Evans Shaw, provides training in design thinking, entrepreneurship, and innovation to students across several New England universities, building a network of student innovators equipped to address important challenges facing Maine and beyond.