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Flourish Foundation Project, Inc.

DBA: F.I.R.E. Institute for Wellness & Global Competitiveness

Flourish Foundation Project, Inc. is a federally recognized nonprofit and community behavioral health services provider advancing youth mental health, prevention, and future-ready pathways.

Meeting youth where they are through music, gaming, and creative media—then guiding them toward resilience, leadership, and readiness for a rapidly advancing technology- and AI-driven future. This work is powered by community collaboration and national partners.

Explore Our Programs

About Flourish Foundation Project Inc.

Flourish Foundation Project Inc., DBA F.I.R.E. Institute for Wellness & Global Competitiveness (Flourish. Impact. Resilience. Excellence.), is a Charlotte-based nonprofit community behavioral health organization providing counseling and prevention services for youth, young adults, and families. The organization creates stigma-free solutions for youth mental health, wellness, and suicide prevention by meeting young people where they already are—through music, gaming, esports, and creative media—and redefining how prevention and access to care are delivered within a scalable, collaborative ecosystem model.

Flourish Foundation Project transforms engagement into opportunity. Through structured programming and stackable micro-certifications, youth learn how skills developed in music production, gaming strategy, digital media, and creative problem-solving translate into high-demand career pathways across technology, healthcare, engineering, mental health, and other growing industries. By helping young people connect passion to purpose and purpose to pathway, the organization strengthens resilience, builds leadership capacity, and makes prevention practical and future-focused.

In environments saturated with influence yet largely lacking structured prevention and wellness support, Flourish Foundation Project intentionally embeds resilience education, life-affirming messaging, and clear pathways to licensed services—bridging the gap between engagement and intervention. The organization integrates clinical care, leadership development, and career exposure to help youth embrace life and build bright futures while strengthening safe, caring, and globally competitive communities.

Through the Flourish Impact Alliance—an alliance of 138 local businesses, organizations, universities, education partners, and national brands—Flourish Foundation Project unites service, sponsorship, and strategic collaboration around a shared mission: empowering youth and saving young lives. Implemented as a county-wide ecosystem initiative in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina, the model addresses a sustained crisis and is designed for national replication. From the Every 11 Minutes campaign placing messages of hope during high-risk after-school hours, to national collaborative activations, to licensed youth enrichment programs that remove stigma and build resilience, the Alliance represents a coordinated response to a common national challenge. Organizations and individuals are invited to join the Flourish Impact Alliance, become collaborative partners, and invest in prevention—helping youth embrace life and build bright futures.

Mission & Vision

Our Mission

Our mission is to help youth and young adults embrace life and build bright futures by preventing suicide, strengthening mental resilience, and creating a national ecosystem of support—uniting communities, schools, and national brands to prepare youth for leadership in a rapidly advancing, AI- and technology-driven world, and fueling safe, caring, and globally competitive communities.

Our Vision

We envision a future where every young person has access to stigma-free mental health care, meaningful pathways to purpose, and collaborative support systems that empower them to thrive emotionally, academically, and professionally.

At Flourish Foundation Project, Inc., we believe that youth mental health is not just an individual concern—it's a community priority that requires coordinated action across sectors. By bridging the gap between engagement and care, we create sustainable pathways that transform lives and strengthen communities for generations to come.

Our approach recognizes that today's young people are growing up in an unprecedented era of technological advancement and global connectivity. We prepare them not only to navigate these changes but to lead with resilience, purpose, and compassion.

Building Safe, Caring, and Globally Competitive Communities by Strengthening Youth Mental Resilience

Flourish Foundation Project, Inc. DBA F.I.R.E. Institute for Wellness & Global Competitiveness, a federally recognized, tax-exempt nonprofit and community behavioral health services, provider advancing youth mental health, prevention, and future-ready pathways through a collaborative national ecosystem is designed to save lives, strengthen communities, and support a resilient, technologically savvy pipeline of success.

We meet youth and young adults where they are—through music, gaming, creative media, and real-world experiences—then guide them toward resilience, leadership, and access to care in a rapidly advancing, AI- and technology-driven world.

Our work, and our proprietary approach, the F.I.R.E. Ecosystem (Flourish Impact Resilience & Excellence) F.I.R.E. Ecosystem are driven by urgency and intentionally crafted collaborative opportunities to advance stigma-free pathways to care & career readiness. . Every day, young people face mental health challenges without the support they need. At the same time, they're preparing to lead in a world transformed by artificial intelligence and rapid technological advancement. We meet them where they are—through music, esports, and creative media—then equip them with resilience, readiness, and professional support for the journey ahead.

The National Suicide Crisis

"In 2023, more than 1.7 million suicide attempts occurred — the highest ever recorded. Over 51,000 deaths — one every 11 minutes. About 23% were minors under 18."

— CDC / NIMH

1.7M

Suicide Attempts

Highest number ever recorded in a single year

51K

Deaths in 2023

One life lost every 11 minutes

23%

Were Minors

Nearly one in four victims under age 18

Charlotte First—Leading the Nation

Flourish Foundation Project, recognizes the national urgency and feels the impact profoundly, as a Charlotte-based nonprofit leads the nation in collaborative impact for the national suicide crisis among youth and young adults, promoting safe caring and globally competitive communities— a replicable and scalable model offering a coordinated collaborative impact solution addressing youth in crisis and empowering youth to embrace life & build bright futures with in a rapidly advancing ai and technology-driven world.

We are actively seeking collaborative partners within the Charlotte, NC - Mecklenburg County Area for a national public health awareness & community behavioral health initiative for youth mental wellbeing & suicide prevention.

Prepared by Chanda L. Spates
Flourish Foundation Project Inc.

Charlotte — North Carolina’s Highest Suicide Rates Among Youth & Young Adults (ages 10-24)

"Mecklenburg County had the highest number of child and teen suicide deaths (ages 10–17) of any county in North Carolina between 2013 and 2017."

— Charlotte Observer / NAMI Charlotte

Rising Youth Suicide Attempts

Charlotte continues to see alarming rates of youth suicide attempts, with our county leading the state in tragic losses.

Overwhelmed Families

Parents and families are searching desperately for support systems, resources, and guidance to help their struggling children.

Dangerous Afterschool Hours

The hours between 3-7 PM represent the most dangerous time for youth, when supervision is minimal and risk is highest.

Charlotte urgently needs community-based, accessible solutions that meet families where they are.

Redefining Mental Health & Wellness for Youth

We serve youth and young adults, families, schools, and communities seeking stigma-free pathways to mental wellness, prevention, leadership, and future readiness.

Youth & Young Adults

Ages 10–24 seeking mental health support, enrichment opportunities, and pathways to purpose through engaging, stigma-free experiences that meet them where they are.

Families

Parents and caregivers looking for accessible mental health resources, prevention strategies, and supportive services that strengthen their children's emotional resilience.

Schools & Educators

Educational institutions seeking collaborative partnerships to enhance student mental wellness, early intervention capabilities, and future-ready skill development.

Communities

Local leaders, organizations, and stakeholders committed to building safe, caring environments where youth can thrive emotionally, academically, and professionally.

Our Approach: The F.I.R.E. Ecosystem

A Coordinated, Scalable Model

The F.I.R.E. ecosystem is a coordinated, scalable model built on permanent core elements activated through evolving programs and initiatives.

This innovative framework ensures consistency, accountability, and measurable impact while allowing flexibility to respond to emerging needs and opportunities. Our ecosystem approach creates synergy across all programs, multiplying effectiveness and reach.

Five Permanent Core Elements

Each core element represents a critical component of comprehensive youth mental health support. Together, they form an integrated system that addresses prevention, intervention, enrichment, awareness, and collaborative impact.

The Five Core Elements of the F.I.R.E. Ecosystemâ„¢

The F.I.R.E. Ecosystemâ„¢ operates through five interconnected core elements that create comprehensive support for youth. Each element serves a distinct purpose while reinforcing the others, ensuring no young person falls through the cracks.

Youth Enrichment & Engagement

Trusted entry points where youth naturally engage through music, gaming, and creative expression

Wellness & Support

Direct counseling, peer support, and early intervention services that meet immediate needs

Public Health Awareness

Prevention campaigns and collective action initiatives that save lives through education

Community & National Reinforcement

Scalable partnerships that create visibility, sustainability, and collective impact

Global Competitiveness & National Resilience

Long-term workforce readiness and pathways to stability that strengthen our nation

Core Element I:

Counseling & Behavioral Health Services

Professional Foundation

Credentialed counseling and behavioral health services provide a professional foundation for prevention, support, and ongoing care.

Current Activations

Counseling & Behavioral Health Services

Licensed mental health professionals delivering individual, group, family, and telehealth counseling in accessible, stigma-free environments.

Our behavioral health services are designed to meet youth and families at every stage of their mental wellness journey—from prevention and early intervention to ongoing therapeutic support. We provide evidence-based practices delivered by credentialed professionals who understand the unique challenges facing today's young people.

Contact us to schedule an intake appointment to begin your supportive journey.

Core Element II:

Youth Enrichment & Leadership Development

Building Trust & Belonging

Youth enrichment builds trust, belonging, leadership, and stigma-free pathways to support.

Enrichment programs create the essential bridge between engagement and care. By meeting youth in spaces they find exciting and relevant—through music, gaming, creative media, and hands-on experiences—we build authentic relationships that open doors to support when it's needed most.

Current Activations

SoundQuest Station

An innovative program engaging youth through music, gaming, and creative media experiences that build confidence, leadership, and future readiness.

Music & Mental Resilience

A transformative use of music for expression & intervention. A past activation demonstrating the power of music-based interventions in strengthening emotional wellness and creating pathways to support. Our youth took the main stage at the annual Charlotte Taste of Charlotte food festival performing original titles that transform music into life-saving messages of resilience and hope.

These activations demonstrate our commitment to innovation in youth engagement. By leveraging the interests and passions of young people, we create non-threatening entry points to mental health conversations and resources. Leadership development is woven throughout, preparing participants for success in school, careers, and life.

Core Element III:

Prevention & Public Awareness

Scaling Life-Saving Messages

Prevention scales when life-saving messages are visible, repeated, and reinforced across communities and platforms.

Public awareness and prevention campaigns create cultural shifts in how communities talk about and respond to youth mental health. Consistent, visible messaging reduces stigma, normalizes help-seeking, and ensures that young people know where to turn when they're struggling.

Prevention is most effective when it reaches young people through multiple touchpoints—at school, online, in their communities, and through trusted voices. Our prevention strategies are designed for maximum reach and sustained impact.

Current Activations

Every11Minutes

A powerful prevention campaign that mobilizes communities and partners to reinforce prevention messages, strengthen help-seeking behaviors, and support youth with consistent, visible communication that saves lives.

The name reflects a sobering reality while inspiring urgent action. Through strategic partnerships and multi-channel messaging, Every11Minutes ensures that prevention becomes a sustained community priority.

Core Element IV:

Live Experiences & National Events

Creating Momentum for Impact

High-visibility experiences unite communities, amplify prevention, and create momentum for national impact.

Live events serve as catalysts for community engagement and national visibility. They bring together youth, families, educators, influencers, and partners in shared experiences that celebrate resilience, showcase innovation, and demonstrate the power of collective action in youth mental health.

Current Activations

Play & Stay — Live Championship: A Historic National Youth Summit Where Esports, Music, and Wellness Unite

Uniting industries, influencers, and national brands through highly engaging, stigma-free, youth-friendly experiences that equip young people with life-saving skills, leadership for today, and pathways to the careers of the future.

A First-of-Its-Kind Summit

Play & Stay — Live is a first-of-its-kind national youth summit presented by Flourish Foundation Project, Inc., in collaboration with the Olympic Regional Development Authority, and live streamed to the nation from the iconic U.S. Olympic Center.

This can't-miss event happens May 23–24, 2026.

This groundbreaking summit combines competitive esports, live music performances, wellness workshops, and career pathways exploration in an unprecedented two-day experience. Young people will connect with industry leaders, mental health professionals, and peers from across the nation—all while competing, creating, and building skills for the future.

Core Element V: Collaborative Impact & Partnerships

Multiplying Reach Through Collaboration

Cross-sector collaboration multiplies reach, reinforces outcomes, and strengthens communities at scale.

No single organization can solve the youth mental health crisis alone. Sustainable impact requires coordinated action across sectors—bringing together nonprofits, businesses, schools, government agencies, influencers, and community leaders in shared commitment to youth wellness.


The Flourish Impact Alliance represents our commitment to building and sustaining these critical partnerships. By aligning resources, expertise, and reach, we create a force multiplier effect that extends far beyond what any individual entity could achieve.

Strategic collaboration also ensures that prevention messages are reinforced through trusted voices across multiple platforms and touchpoints, creating the consistency necessary for lasting cultural change.

Core Activation:

Flourish Impact Alliance

The Alliance unites cross-sectional partners—brands, educators, leaders, and influencers—to reinforce prevention, strengthen communities, and expand access to engagement and support at scale.

Alliance partners gain opportunities to demonstrate corporate social responsibility, reach youth audiences authentically, and contribute to measurable community impact. Together, we're building a national movement for youth mental wellness.


Programs & Initiatives

Each program below represents our ecosystem brought to life. These are not afterschool programs—they are youth enrichment and leadership initiatives designed to empower young people with skills, confidence, and community support for lifelong success.


SoundQuest Station

Flagship youth enrichment hub for music, gaming, podcasting, and peer support. A dynamic space where creativity meets mental wellness, giving young people the tools and community they need to express themselves and build resilience through the arts.




Every 11 Minutesâ„¢

National awareness campaign and collaborative movement to address youth suicide. Named for the tragic statistic that someone dies by suicide every 11 minutes in America, this initiative transforms awareness into action through strategic partnerships and community mobilization.




Play & Stay — Live Championship

Annual esports, music, and youth resilience showcase event held at the iconic U.S. Olympic Center in Lake Placid. This three-day championship brings together gaming, live music performances, and mental wellness programming in an unforgettable experience.

Location: U.S. Olympic Center, Lake Placid
Dates: May 23–24, 2026 and annually for 3 years

Programs in Action: Activating the Core Elements

Each program and initiative within the F.I.R.E. ecosystem activates one of our five permanent core elements. This structure ensures alignment, accountability, and measurable impact while allowing programs to evolve in response to community needs and emerging opportunities.

Counseling & Behavioral Health Services

Activation of: Counseling & Behavioral Health Services

Licensed professionals providing individual, group, family, and telehealth counseling.

SoundQuest Station

Activation of: Youth Enrichment & Leadership Development

Engaging youth through music, gaming, and creative media for confidence and future readiness.

Every11Minutes

Activation of: Prevention & Public Awareness

Mobilizing communities with visible, consistent prevention messaging that saves lives.

Play & Stay — Live

Activation of: Live Experiences & National Events

Historic national summit uniting esports, music, and wellness at the U.S. Olympic Center.

Flourish Impact Alliance

Activation of: Collaborative Impact & Partnerships

Uniting brands, educators, and leaders to expand support at scale.

Multiple Pathways to Get Involved

Youth & Families

Access counseling, enroll in enrichment programs, register for events, and connect with support resources.

Schools & Educators

Partner on prevention initiatives, bring programs to your community, and access transportation support for events.

Sponsors & Partners

Join the Impact Alliance, sponsor signature events, and amplify prevention campaigns through your platforms.

Community Leaders

Collaborate on local implementation, advocate for youth mental health, and help expand the ecosystem to new regions.

The F.I.R.E. ecosystem creates multiple entry points for engagement—whether you're seeking services, looking to contribute resources, or wanting to bring these programs to your community. Every pathway strengthens the collective impact and moves us closer to a future where every young person has access to stigma-free mental health support.

Flourish Foundation Project, Inc. is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit and community behavioral health services provider.

Email: info@flourish.foundation | Phone: 704-661-3005

When These Elements Work Together

Transformative Outcomes for Youth, Families, and Communities

Our comprehensive, integrated approach creates powerful synergies that transform individual lives and strengthen entire communities. When clinical excellence, stigma-free engagement, public awareness, collaborative amplification, and digital access work together, the results extend far beyond mental health outcomes alone.

Build Resilience

Early intervention prevents escalation to crisis, ensuring youth receive support before reaching the point of suicidal ideation or attempt

Hope Restored

Youth who felt isolated and hopeless discover community, purpose, and genuine reasons to embrace life and look forward to their futures

Leadership Development

Participants develop self-advocacy skills, peer leadership capabilities, and confidence to navigate challenges and seize opportunities

Career Exploration & Workforce Readiness

Youth gain exposure to high-growth career pathways, develop marketable skills, and build portfolios that position them for economic success in an AI-driven future

Economic Development

By preparing youth for technology and innovation sectors, we support local and national economic competitiveness while reducing unemployment and underemployment

Global Competitiveness

A mentally healthy, skilled, resilient workforce strengthens America's ability to compete in the global economy and lead in technological innovation

Reduced Juvenile Delinquency

Youth engaged in positive activities, connected to mentors, and supported through challenges are far less likely to enter the criminal justice system

Resilient Future Workforce

Today's supported youth become tomorrow's mentally healthy workers, parents, and leaders—breaking intergenerational cycles of crisis and trauma

Ripple Effects Across Systems

The impact of our work extends into healthcare systems (reduced emergency department utilization), education systems (improved attendance and academic performance), family systems (strengthened relationships and communication), and criminal justice systems (diverted youth from pipelines to incarceration). Every young person we reach creates positive ripples that touch dozens of other lives—siblings, parents, peers, teachers, and future children yet to be born.

This is prevention at scale. This is how we change trajectories not just for individuals, but for entire generations. And this is why every partner, donor, and supporter plays an irreplaceable role in building a future where every young person can flourish..

Connect with Flourish Foundation

Reach out to learn more about our vital youth mental health programs, explore partnership opportunities, or discover how you can get involved in building resilient communities.