Spokane wins $200,000 grant to support The ZONE’s Youth Wellness Zone
The City of Spokane has received a $200,000 Healthy and Sustainable Communities grant from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the American Beverage Association to support and expand The ZONE Spokane’s Youth Wellness Zone (YWZ).
The Youth Wellness Zone is a youth-led initiative that empowers students to define wellness, identify priorities, and develop strategies to support youth mental health. The program launched during the 2024–2025 school year with an elective wellness class at On Track Academy, where students explore the challenges affecting youth wellbeing and work with community partners to develop solutions.
This new funding will help expand the Youth Wellness Zone’s reach by increasing youth participation, strengthening partnerships with local businesses and community organizations, and supporting the implementation of additional student-led wellness initiatives.
“Our youth face real challenges: increasing rates of anxiety and depression with limited access to care, food insecurity, and the worsening effects of climate change,” said Lisa Brown, Mayor of Spokane. “Yet the Youth Wellness Zone demonstrates that when we trust youth to lead, they rise to the challenge with creativity, empathy, and determination. Their efforts have real-world impacts improving mental health outcomes, strengthening community bonds, and expanding sustainability initiatives—all goals that align directly with my administration’s vision for a healthy, equitable Spokane.”
“We want to break down barriers so youth mental health and wellness strategies can be fully realized here in Spokane,” said Jene Ray, Executive Director of the Northeast Community Center and The ZONE. “I’m grateful to the many partners who supported this application and to the students whose voices and leadership will truly make this work possible.”
This investment will help The ZONE continue supporting youth leaders as they turn their ideas into meaningful action for their schools and community.