News Detail
St. Thomas More High School awarded United Way funding for teen mental wellness
STM joins Empowering Minds initiative to enhance student services and resilience
Media Contact: Jim McLaughlin, Sr. Director of Development
Email: mclaughlinj@tmore.org
Phone: 414-481-8370 x119
For Immediate Release
MILWAUKEE, JUNE 8, 2026 — St. Thomas More High School (STM) has been selected to join United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County’s Teen Mental Wellness: Empowering Minds initiative, which grants funding and coaching to build high schools’ systems of support for student well-being.
Starting in the 2026-27 school year, this grant will provide STM with a designated school implementation coach and $50,000 per year for four to six years to support mental health services. After the initial years, they will continue supporting the plan for up to two more years with $25,000 each to ensure its sustainability. Over the lifespan of the grant, United Way will potentially invest more than a quarter-million dollars into STM’s efforts to build and sustain a comprehensive mental health plan.
"We are so thrilled to join United Way and the other schools in this Empowering Minds initiative," said Tim Schultz, STM Director of Student Services. "This funding and coaching allows us to make permanent expansions to what we can deliver for students. And it goes beyond just serving students in crisis – it also supports our school’s culture of belonging that helps our kids build their emotional resilience to deal with all the hard parts about growing up today."
The competitive grant is open to high schools located within eligible portions of Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, and Ozaukee Counties. It requires them to provide details about their priorities for student well-being, demonstrate commitment from school leaders, and show readiness to implement statewide school recommendations from the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health.
STM joins other area Empowering Minds schools, including Marquette University High School, Pius XI Catholic High School, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee, Ronald Reagan High School, and St. Augustine Preparatory Academy.
Strategy sessions begin after an orientation in September and will include input from staff, students, and parents in building the first stages of the comprehensive plan.
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About St. Thomas More High School
St. Thomas More is a Catholic, coeducational high school that inspires students to embrace the values of our patron saint by becoming men and women for all seasons. Rooted in Christ and the Catholic tradition, the school community embodies the principles of Christian discipleship, service to others, and academic excellence.
About United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County is an independently-governed 501(c)3 nonprofit organization connected to a network of more than 1,100 local United Ways through United Way Worldwide. It has its own board of directors and focuses its work on local solutions for local problems. View its recent financial forms and reports.
UWGMWC envisions a united community where people come together to invest in significant and measurable solutions that foster wellness and opportunity for all.
About Teen Mental Wellness: Empowering Minds
UWGMWC’s Teen Mental Wellness: Empowering Minds schools will elevate the mental wellness of 21,000 high school students by 2030 through funding, coaching, and advocacy.
St. Thomas More is a Catholic, coeducational high school that inspires students to embrace the values of our Patron Saint by becoming men and women for all seasons. Rooted in Christ and the Catholic tradition, the school community embodies the principles of Christian discipleship, service to others, and academic excellence.
Thank you to Visual Image Photography and ValerieAnn Photography for capturing many of the photos on tmore.org.
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