Project AWARE
Project AWARE from the Colorado Department of Education funds efforts to strengthen school-based mental and behavioral health systems and promote student wellness across Colorado.
Funder: Colorado Department of Education
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2026 (Project AWARE full application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Multi-year awards; previous rounds have ranged from $1M–$2M per grantee over 4–5 years, subject to federal appropriations.
Summary: Supports Colorado schools and partners in building robust mental and behavioral health systems to promote student wellness and resilience.
Key Information: Forecasted grant; dates and requirements subject to change.
Description
Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education) is a statewide initiative led by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to strengthen school-based mental and behavioral health infrastructure across Colorado. The program is designed to help schools, districts, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), and Tribal Education Agencies develop coordinated behavioral health systems, improve school climate, and promote student social-emotional learning using a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework.
Project AWARE funds local and statewide efforts to:
- Build comprehensive, sustainable systems for school-based mental health.
- Increase access to mental health services for students.
- Enhance collaboration among education agencies, community organizations, and state partners.
- Provide practical supports and resources for universal mental health screening, suicide prevention, recruitment/retention of mental health professionals, and mental health literacy.
The initiative is federally funded via the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and has supported multiple Colorado LEAs and Tribal Education Agencies in recent years. Awarded projects are expected to align with the Landscape of Wellbeing and Belonging and demonstrate a plan for sustainable impact.
