myHappymind: Building resilience and wellbeing one classroom at a time
Find out how myHappymind is turning mental health into a proactive, teachable life skill, and their journey as a Fellow.
Founded by Laura Earnshaw, myHappymind is a whole-school curriculum that teaches the science of wellbeing and resilience to children, teachers, and parents. By turning mental health into a proactive, teachable life skill, it’s helping schools build happier, healthier communities.
What is myHappymind and what problem does it solve?
myHappymind is a whole-school curriculum and framework that teaches the science of mental wellbeing and resilience to children, staff, and parents. It transforms mental health from a reactive intervention into a proactive, teachable life skill, embedding prevention at the heart of education.
Every school faces the same challenge: rising anxiety, low self-esteem, and behavioural issues among pupils, alongside exhausted staff and overstretched NHS services. myHappymind tackles this by giving schools the tools to build positive, resilient communities where wellbeing is learned, practiced, and celebrated every day.
Validated by the University of Chester and recognised by NHS commissioners, myHappymind has shown measurable impact: reductions in CAMHS referrals, improved attendance and behaviour, and a 40x return on investment. This all demonstrates that prevention is not only powerful but also cost-effective.
“We’re teaching the science of wellbeing as a life skill to help children, teachers, and parents understand their minds and build resilience for life.”
“We’re teaching the science of wellbeing as a life skill to help children, teachers, and parents understand their minds and build resilience for life.”
What was your inspiration and motivation?
The idea for myHappymind came from a deeply personal place. As a mum, Laura saw her own children navigating growing emotional pressures and realised that while schools teach academic skills, they rarely teach children how to understand and manage their minds.
That insight became her mission: to bring the science of wellbeing into classrooms, helping children develop the tools to cope, connect, and thrive.
What motivates Laura today is seeing the ripple effect her work has. Children who feel empowered, teachers who rediscover joy in their work, and NHS partners who see the tangible impact of prevention on reducing demand.
“When a child realises they can train their brain, or a teacher says this changed how I see myself and my pupils, that’s when I know we’re making a difference.”
Laura Earnshaw, Founder and CEO, myHappymind
Why did you become a Fellow?
Joining the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) has been, in Laura’s words, “genuinely transformative.” It has provided access to a national network of innovators, leaders, and mentors who share a belief in doing things differently.
Through the NIA, Laura has strengthened the evidence base behind myHappymind, built relationships with national mental health leads, and accelerated integration into NHS pathways, particularly through the Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) programme.
“Being part of the NIA is about collective impact, bringing prevention to the forefront of national strategy so that every child can benefit.”
Looking ahead
Over the next five years, Laura’s vision is clear: to make prevention the foundation of the UK’s approach to children’s mental health, with myHappymind playing a central role in that shift.
She hopes to see the programme scaled across Integrated Care Systems and Mental Health Support Teams, supporting national ambitions for full coverage by 2029/30.
Beyond growth her goal is cultural change, where every teacher has the tools to create resilient, neuroinclusive classrooms, and every child leaves primary school equipped with the knowledge to understand their brain and manage their emotions.
“We know the three shifts we need in health and care – prevention, digital, and community. myHappymind is all three in action.”
Want to find out more? Visit the innovation page where you can contact the innovator directly, or check out their website.
