CorStone Expands Reach to More Youth Around the World, Rebrands as WorldBeing

BALTIMORE—September 20, 2023—Research shows that successful cultivation of mental health and inner wellbeing is the product of skills such as self-discovery, agency and resilience—and that these skills can be learned. A nonprofit organization formerly known as CorStone has been teaching these skills to some of the most marginalized young people in the world for more than 15 years. Its programs help to make progress against four major UN Sustainable Development Goals, including 3–good health and wellbeing, 4–quality education,5–gender equality and 13–climate action.

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In conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly meetings being held this week in New York, the organization is kicking off the scale-up of its programs to millions of young people in India, Rwanda and Kenya by 2026 with the launch of a new brand, WorldBeing.  

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Steve Leventhal, CEO of WorldBeing, said, “For 15 years,we've honed and expanded our evidence-backed programs from India to African nations like Kenya and Rwanda. By 2026, we aim to empower more than 5 million marginalized youth annually, enhancing their resilience and wellbeing. Our new identity as WorldBeing encapsulates our broadened scope and commitment.”

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WorldBeing programs are developed in locally grounded,community-led thought partnerships. The organization prioritizes learning from context and lived experience; reciprocal sharing of ideas; and continuous improvement as it works with governments and local partners to innovate,evaluate and scale.

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As part of a multi-year agreement with the Education Department, Government of Bihar, WorldBeing is partnering with the State Council for Education Research and Training (SCERT) to train nearly 1,000 government Master Trainers and 40,000 schoolteachers to lead the Youth First program in classrooms across the state. By April 2025, its curricula will be incorporated into all state textbooks, reaching 3.5 million students annually in 35,000 schools by 2026.

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In Rwanda, WorldBeing’s programs continue to expand for implementation among 7,000 youth in 55 schools across Rwanda. Over the course of 2024-25, WorldBeing plans to work closely with the Rwanda Basic Education Board, the Rwanda Ministry of Education, and its local partner, The Wellspring Foundation for Education on an extensive scale-up plan for nationwide rollout.

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In Kenya, WorldBeing has partnered with its local NGO partner, BasicNeeds BasicRights Kenya, as part of a multi-year agreement with the Kenya Ministry of Education to scale and institutionalize its programs nationwide. At scale, more than 20,000 government junior secondary schools,40,000 teachers and 2 million youth annually will participate in the program.

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"While our branding has evolved, WorldBeing's foundational mission remains: championing marginalized and vulnerable youth, especially girls in low- to middle-income countries, and fostering their intrinsic wellbeing," Leventhal said. "We believe inner wellbeing is foundational to global wellbeing. Our findings highlight the synergies between individual wellness, gender equality, educational attainment and community health. As WorldBeing, we're signaling not just a change, but a profound shift."