To many, March is known for brackets, buzzer beaters, and bold predictions. For years, Sources of Strength programs throughout the country have been using that same energy to focus on something that matters far beyond the scoreboard: Trusted Adults & Mentors

March Mentor Madness is a campaign that launched over a decade again to celebrate the Mentors who show up for young people every day. Teachers, coaches, counselors, family members, support staff, and community members. The adults who are there for us and see our Strengths, even when it may be hard to ourselves.

This campaign is fun on the surface, but it is rooted in something very serious and very hopeful. Trusted adults are one of the strongest protective factors in suicide prevention.

Trevor Project research found, “LGBTQ youth who report having at least one accepting adult were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year. “ Read their research here: The Trevor Project Research Brief:
Accepting Adults Reduce Suicide Attempts Among LGBTQ Youth

Bracket season, but make it mentorship

March Mentor Madness invites schools and communities to bring visibility to the Trusted Adults who make a difference. It borrows the familiarity of bracket season to create low-barrier, high-impact campaign centered around the popular March Madness Tournament.

Schools and communities across North America have used the campaign in many ways:

• Highlighting Mentors across campus with wall display brackets and silly competitions
• Inviting students and staff to reflect on who supports them
• Sharing Mentor shoutouts in classrooms, advisories, or morning announcements
• Using social media, bulletin boards and events to celebrate connection with Mentors
  

What matters most is not the format. It is the message. Trusted Adults and Mentors can be a go to resource when times get tough, they can help us as we move through the ups and downs of life, and increasing connections to protective factors like these can prevent a whole host of averse outcomes like substance misuse, bullying, harassment and suicide. 

To explore Secondary Program Trusted Adult campaign resources, click here.

Trusted Adults are a proven protective factor

The importance of Trusted Adults is not just intuitive. It is supported by research.

Within Sources of Strength studies, students who report stronger connections to adults are more likely to:

• Seek help for themselves or a friend
• Have increased healthy coping strategies
• Seek support during times of stress
  

In large-scale research trials, schools implementing Sources of Strength saw increases in students’ perceptions of adult support and help-seeking norms. Those cultural shifts are associated with meaningful reductions in suicidal behaviors.

Trusted Adults do not need to have all the answers. They need to be visible, approachable, and willing to listen. March Mentor Madness helps reinforce that message in a way that may feel more accessible… Sounds like a slam dunk to us!

Because the campaign is flexible, schools adapt it to fit their culture, capacity, and timeline. Some go big. Others keep it simple. Within the March Mentor Madness resources you’ll find a bunch of awesome examples of past campaigns.

Sign up to access March Mentor Madness campaign resources and get ready-to-use tools, templates, and ideas to bring the campaign to life.

Supporting Trusted Adults in elementary schools

Building strong adult connections starts early.

For K–5 settings, Trusted Adults often show up through shared stories, conversations, and classroom routines. To complement our Elementary Curriculum, Sources of Strength offers K–5 read-aloud recommendations and resources that help educators introduce themes of connection, help-seeking, and Strengths in age-appropriate ways.

Read-alouds create space for students to name trusted adults, practice asking for help, and build a shared language around support.

March Mentor Madness resources include K–5 read-aloud resources to support trusted adult connections in elementary settings.

More than a moment in March

While March Mentor Madness lives on the calendar, its impact extends far beyond one month. You don’t even need to run the campaign during March, tons of partners don’t! 

When schools consistently elevate Trusted Adults, they reinforce a core principle of suicide prevention. Connection is protection.

Small moments matter. Checking in. Following up. Holding space. Over time, those actions build environments where students know who they can turn to and believe that reaching out will help.

March Mentor Madness is an invitation. An invitation to celebrate the adults who show up. To make connection visible. And to strengthen a culture where support is shared and seeking help is a Strength.

Our team would love to show off your work. To share your campaigns click here to share: Spotlight Form.