Overview

About Project YES
About Us
Why Project YES?
Why Use the Project YES Guide?
Project YES Safety Features
The Science Behind Project YES
Try Project YES

Free & Easy

No login or hidden fees, just visit the website anytime.

Private & Safe

100% anonymous; we don’t collect names or personal data.

Youth-Driven

Mini courses are co-designed with and for teens ages 11-17, so the examples and advice are relatable and genuine.

Does It Work?

The skills in Project YES have been tested and found effective by 100,000 youth across the nation, including those in rural areas.

Practical Support for Montana Youth

Project YES offers quick, useful mini courses that help teens build real-life skills, including how to:

Boost Mood
Learn how taking positive actions can boost their mood
Rethink Body Image
‍Learn how to value what their body does for them rather than how it looks
Reframe Negative Thoughts
‍Learn how to rethink stressful situations to shift to a more hopeful perspective
Know Their Power to Change
‍Learn how to take steps to change the way they are thinking to grow into the person they want to be
Take Steps Towards Their Goals
‍Learn how to make a plan to tackle their top problem
Protect Their LGBTQ+ Pride
Learn how to embrace their LGBTQ+ pride and protect their well-being when facing hate
Manage Self-Harm Urges
‍Learn how to cope with feelings of self-hatred and reduce self-harm behaviors
Stay Safe During Suicidal Thoughts
‍Learn how to make a safety plan that can help identify how teens and others can support themselves when they are feeling unsafe

The Best Part? Studies show that our mini courses can reduce anxiety and hopelessness, strengthen teens’ sense of control, and even lower suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Want the details? Check Out the Science Behind Project YES.

Our Research

Man in cowboy hat riding horse on Montana plains

Montana high school students outside school

We are a collaborative team of researchers from the Lab for Scalable Mental Health, led by Dr. Jessica Schleider at Northwestern University working in close partnership with Frontier Psychiatry and Montana Pediatrics to support locally grounded, community-centered work. Together, we combine research expertise with local perspectives to better understand community preferences and develop and deploy evidence based mental health resources for Montana teens. Our partnership is centered around a commitment to serving Montana communities in ways that are responsive to their unique needs and contexts.

Why Project YES?

Most American youth can’t easily access mental health care, and in Montana, that is especially true. Families often live hours away from the nearest clinic; school counselors serve hundreds of students at once. Finding help on your own can be hard. But Montana’s strengths are also what makes Project YES, a great fit here:

Strong Communities

In small towns, neighbors look out for each other. Project YES builds on that by giving every teen a private, no-cost resource they can reach anytime.

Resilient Youth

Montana kids are used to facing challenges head-on. Project YES offers quick, practical tools that let them take charge of their own mental health.

Female Montana student in headphones taking notes

Not Built to Keep Teens Hooked

Many platforms rely on long-term use to make money. Project YES is different. Created by researchers at Northwestern in partnership with Koko (a nonprofit digital mental health group), Project YES isn’t just for mindless scrolling, and it doesn’t require long-term use.

100% Free

No hidden fees. No paywalls. No surprise “premium” features. No ad pop-ups. Just support.

Up to Date & Real

We regularly refresh our programs to reflect the realities teens face today, so examples feel relevant and genuine instead of cheesy or outdated.

Engaging but Simple

Interactive activities keep teens interested without overwhelming them. Project YES is quick, one-time, and teaches skills that teens can use immediately, and carry with them.

Evidence Over Hype

While some platforms make big promises without proof, Project YES is backed by peer-reviewed science and built by researchers, not salespeople.

See Full Breakdown of the Science

Our Research

Montana high school student sitting in truck with laptop

Why Should You Use and Recommend the Project YES Guide to Others?

According to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, Montana teens face some of the highest suicide risks in the nation.

In 2013-2022, the suicide rate among Montana youth was 13.2 per 100,000 people, which is nearly three times the national suicide rate of 4.7 at the time.

Families wait months for care, drive hours for appointments, and have few local specialists to rely on. The Project YES mini courses helps bridge those gaps, so you don’t have to do it alone.

Practical

Clear scripts, checklists, and conversation starters take the guesswork out of introducing Project YES.

Role-Specific

Parents get language for tough conversations. Teachers get classroom-ready tips. Providers get workflows that they can integrate into appointments.

The Last Best Place

Whether you’re in a rural school, a clinic that serves the whole town, or a busy household, the toolkit shows how to embed Project YES into the spaces Montanans already live, learn, and gather.

Safety Features:

Easy Access to Immediate Help

Users have the choice to complete Project YES mini courses for self-harm urges and suicidal thoughts. In addition, crisis resources like 988 and the Crisis Text Line are featured prominently on the Project YES welcome page, along with local Montana resources.

Anonymous by Design

We never collect identifying details (like full names, IP address, email, or usernames), lowering barriers to help-seeking by lessening worry of unwanted disclosure.

Crisis Detection During Activities

In non-crisis Project YES activities, the platform monitors open-text responses for signs of crisis (e.g., suicidal ideation, self-harm, abuse, eating disorders). If a response indicates risk, the platform immediately offers tailored support:

A crisis-focused activity, such as creating a suicide safety plan.
A direct connection to resources like 988 or Crisis Text Line.

Try out the safety features here.