Welcome to The Mattering Movement

The Mattering Movement is a nonprofit advancing the science of mattering in education to create campus communities where everyone is valued, contributes, belongs and thrives together.

“The Mattering Movement has been extremely life-giving to me and to our school community. Because of this curriculum, our staff have gotten to discuss these important issues of students and faculty feeling like they matter for the first time.”

- School Counselor

At The Mattering Movement, we support schools in building cultures of mattering—where every student and educator knows they are valued and have a meaningful role. Our programs offer practical tools and shared language to deepen connection, purpose, and well-being. Invite the Mattering Movement into your school to create a learning environment where everyone belongs, knows they matter, and feels seen, heard, and valued. Invite The Mattering Movement into your school to create a learning environment where everyone belongs, knows they matter, and feels seen, heard, and valued.

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“The teaching modules allowed us to be deliberate and intentional about showing our students they matter. This program helped us “teach” something that most of us believe in, but most of us did not know it had a name.”

- Senior Administrator

The Mattering Movement at Harvard

We are grateful to partner with Harvard College to help create a campus where students and faculty know they matter. Alongside Harvard, we are proud to work with New York University, Washington University, the University of Pennsylvania (PennPAC), and Emory University (Oxford).

PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHT

Mattering in Colleges & Universities

In 2024, over 40% of college students reported feeling too depressed to function, and over 60% reported overwhelming anxiety. Recognizing the deep need for actionable tools and resources for young adults and drawing on the large body of scientific research correlating mattering to positive mental health, our work increasingly focuses on bringing mattering to college campuses. We are grateful to work with Harvard, New York University, Washington University, the University of Pennsylvania (PennPac), and Emory University (Oxford).

Mattering in Middle and High School

In 2023, 40% of students in middle and high school reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, and over 50% of students reported that anxiety or depression are major obstacles to learning. Drawing on robust research illustrating the positive mental health outcomes of a strong sense of mattering, our curriculum for 6-12th grades is making a tangible impact throughout the U.S. and beyond.

Click here for more information about our Mattering curriculum.

What is The Mattering Movement?

The Mattering Movement is a national nonprofit dedicated to creating cultures of mattering in schools and educational spaces.

Mattering is about how we treat ourselves and how we treat one another. It is both a research-backed mindset and a skill set that can be learned. The Mattering Movement provides actionable strategies to create environments that foster mattering—at home, in classrooms, and across wider communities.

Research shows that at the root of many mental health struggles in young people—pressure, anxiety, depression, and loneliness—is an unmet need to feel that we matter: that we are valued for who we are at our core, and that we can add meaningful value to the lives of others.

At the Mattering Movement, we teach what it means to matter by providing tools to identify genuine needs in your community and the skills to make a positive impact on the world.

Who is The Mattering Movement?

MEET OUR CO-FOUNDERS

Drawing on their deep expertise, founders Dr. Sarah Bennison, NYU faculty member and founder of the Trinity School (NYC) Office of Public Service, and Jennifer Wallace, New York Times bestselling author of Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic and What We Can Do About It and Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose, along with a team of expert advisors, equip parents, students, and teachers with powerful, evidence-based tools to untangle self-worth from achievement. This is the essence of mattering.

What kids and adults need in their lives is not more pressure, but the assurance that they matter. An award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author, Jennifer Wallace has conducted and published extensive research on the importance of mattering. Dr. Sarah Bennison, an educational leader and service-learning expert, serves as Academic Director of the Mattering Movement Program, where she develops innovative, research-informed social impact curricula and programs for schools and universities.

Why We Need to Know Our Lives Matter

We all want our lives to count. But doing important work is not enough. We need to know that what we do truly matters.

In this powerful talk, The Mattering Movement co-founder and New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Wallace draws on research with firefighters, caregivers, and other everyday heroes to reveal a surprising truth: small moments of acknowledgment and connection can profoundly shape our sense of purpose. In a culture that often measures worth by achievement alone, she offers a hopeful, research-backed path to deeper meaning and belonging.