What TRAILS does

TRAILS (legally Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan that delivers evidence-based mental health programming to K-12 schools at no cost. The organization was originally launched in 2013 as a research project within the University of Michigan Medical School and became an independent nonprofit around 2021-2022. It serves over 1,000 school partnerships nationally, with materials downloaded more than 200,000 times annually worldwide and over 200,000 new students accessing TRAILS programs in the 2022-2023 school year.

The platform offers three tiered programs aligned with the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework: Social and Emotional Learning (Tier 1 universal program with 4 grade bands and CASEL-aligned lessons), CBT and Mindfulness (Tier 2 early intervention with 7-10 session skills groups), and Suicide Prevention and Risk Management (Tier 3 crisis response with role-specific trainings and customizable protocols). Delivery is supported by Learning Collaborative Coaching, approximately 50 Professional Learning Modules, and role-specific learning pathways for teachers, mental health staff, school support staff, and school leaders. The underlying technology is a web-based platform hosted on Amazon S3 (trails-iwd.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com), with Zoom-based virtual trainings, Vimeo video hosting, and Google Suite integration. Recent platform enhancements include predictive search, downloadable histories, multilingual materials in up to 9 languages, and WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility features. A major Fall 2026 overhaul will add approximately 400 new resources, bringing the total to roughly 1,500.

TRAILS operates on a non-revenue-producing model: school partners receive training, materials, and ongoing support at no cost with perpetual access, and a subset of materials is freely accessible to any registered user. Operating funding comes entirely from philanthropic foundations and government agencies, including Blue Meridian Partners, Kresge Foundation, The Anschutz Foundation, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Michigan Health Endowment Fund. The go-to-market is a direct enterprise field-sales motion targeting school districts in Colorado and Michigan, with interest registration supporting planned expansion into additional states. The organization employs 101-250 staff and prioritizes Title I-designated schools where at least 40% of students are low-income.

Name

TRAILS

Legal name

Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students

Website

https://trailstowellness.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

TRAILS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers evidence-based tiered mental health programs—SEL, CBT and Mindfulness, and Suicide Prevention—to K-12 schools at no cost, serving over 1,000 school partnerships nationally from its Ann Arbor, Michigan headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Mental Health Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & MTSS/RTI Tiered SEL Supports (EDAKAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crisis Response & Threat Assessment (Suicide Prevention, Violence Prevention) (EDAJAIAH), School Counseling Services (EDAJAIAA), Behavior, Discipline, PBIS/MTSS & Intervention Tracking (EDAFAEAJ), Behavioral Intervention & PBIS Supports (Tiered, Gen Ed) (EDAJAGAL)

Keywords

• K-12 mental health programs
• School-based SEL curriculum
• CBT mindfulness training
• Suicide prevention education
• Evidence-based interventions

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Funding: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, TRAILS is primarily funded through donations and grants from foundations, government agencies, and individual patrons. In each partner state, philanthropy acts as the catalyst enabling establishment of pilot sites, collaboration with existing services, and securing public funding for impact at scale.
2. Free Materials Access: Select materials are available free of charge regardless of partnership status. Users can create an account to access a subset of materials for each program. This open-access approach supports the organization's mission of equitable mental health service access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TRAILS is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that equips K-12 school staff with evidence-based mental health programming through three tiered programs aligned with the MTSS framework: Social and Emotional Learning (Tier 1), CBT and Mindfulness (Tier 2), and Suicide Prevention and Risk Management (Tier 3). It delivers training, materials, coaching, and implementation support at no cost to school partners via a web-based platform, with select materials freely accessible to any registered user.

Product overview

TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) is a mental health education platform providing evidence-based programming for K-12 schools. The offering consists of three tiered programs: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) as a Tier 1 universal program for all students, CBT and Mindfulness as a Tier 2 early intervention for students with anxiety/depression symptoms, and Suicide Prevention and Risk Management as a Tier 3 crisis response program. These are complemented by Learning Collaborative Coaching support, Role-Specific Learning Pathways, and Professional Learning Modules. The platform provides school staff with training, materials, and implementation support through an online portal with features including predictive search, adaptable agendas, download tracking, and translated materials in multiple languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Tier 1 universal program for all K-12 students covering 4 grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) with 5 units and 25 lessons per band aligned with CASEL's 5 SEL competencies. Designed for educators with flexible delivery and minimal prep.
• CBT and Mindfulness Tier 2 early intervention skills group program for students with symptoms of depression and anxiety, covering 3 grade bands (3-5, 6-8, 9-12) with 7-10 sessions per band on depression and/or anxiety symptoms. Delivered by school mental health professionals with real-time mentoring from designated TRAILS Coaches.
• Suicide Prevention and Risk Management (SPRM) Tier 3 comprehensive crisis response program engaging the whole school community with role-specific trainings, customizable Student Suicide Risk Management Protocol, safety planning, intervention guidance, and postvention services.
• Learning Collaborative Coaching Coaching support component providing real-time mentoring from designated TRAILS Coaches and ongoing weekly Q&A sessions for school mental health professionals delivering CBT and Mindfulness programming.
• Professional Learning Modules Flexible, bite-sized on-demand professional development modules covering content for school staff, replacing hours-long prescheduled Zoom trainings.
• Role-Specific Learning Pathways Structured learning tracks tailored to distinct school staff roles including Teachers, Mental Health Staff, School and Support Staff, and School Leaders, each with relevant professional learning modules, resources, and guidance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91.6% of users found TRAILS SEL easy to deliver
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Move This World: SEL curriculum provider for PreK-12 schools focused on social-emotional skill development through video-based lessons. Directly comparable in product type (video-based SEL), customer segment (K-12 schools and districts), and mental health framing.
• Aperture Education: Provider of Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) and SEL platform used in MTSS frameworks. Comparable as a measurement-and-curriculum partner for K-12 SEL, often co-deployed with district MTSS initiatives.
• Committee for Children: Nonprofit that produces Second Step, a widely adopted K-12 SEL curriculum. Direct competitor with similar mission, school-based delivery model, and tiered curriculum structure aligned with CASEL competencies.
• Inner Explorer: Nonprofit providing daily mindfulness and SEL practices for K-12 schools. Closely comparable as a mission-driven, evidence-based provider delivering daily SEL/mindfulness programming to schools, often in Title I districts.
• EVERFI: K-12 digital prevention and SEL platform acquired by Blackbaud. Competes in the same school-based SEL/social-emotional curriculum space with digital delivery, similar customer base of districts and Title I schools, and comparable free-content-plus-partnership model.
• Rethink Ed: K-12 SEL, mental health, and behavior platform serving schools and districts. Comparable in MTSS/PBIS-aligned content, professional learning, and district-level deployment with a paid SaaS model contrasted to TRAILS' no-cost approach.
• Sanford Harmony: National SEL program from the Sanford Weill Center for Humanitarianism. Direct peer offering a free, evidence-based SEL program for K-12 with similar mission-driven, no-cost distribution model and similar outcomes-driven positioning.

Emerging players

• Crisis Text Line: Nonprofit providing 24/7 text-based crisis support for youth, including K-12 students. Partially overlapping with TRAILS' Tier 3 suicide prevention focus, but delivers direct crisis intervention rather than school-staff training; complementary referral partner.

Broad incumbents

• Common Sense Education: Major K-12 digital citizenship and SEL content provider from Common Sense Media. Overlaps with TRAILS in school-based SEL delivery and free-to-districts positioning, but operates at much larger scale with broader digital wellness scope.

Others

• CASEL: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning — the framework TRAILS aligns its SEL curriculum to. Not a competitor but the dominant SEL standards body; deeply adjacent as both a thought leader and a referral source for districts seeking SEL partners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TRAILS