Practical mental health skills for the moments students need them most.
Back Pocket is a practice-based mental health curriculum for grades 6–12 that helps students turn mental health knowledge into practiced, usable coping skills.
Hands-on, social, and built for real classrooms — coping skills teens can use the same day.
2025 EdTech Cool Tool Award Winner
Built for Grades 6-12
Practice-based Learning
Teacher-Led or Peer-Supported
Teen mental health takes more than another SEL lesson.
Back Pocket helps students build practical coping skills through The Back Pocket Method: Practice, Connection, and Experience. The curriculum is designed for active participation—not passive exposure.
Practice
Students do more than hear about coping skills. They try strategies, revisit them, reflect on what works, and make the tools their own.
Connection
Students learn alongside peers and trusted adults through guided discussion, collaboration, modeling, and shared reflection—without being required to disclose personal experiences.
Experience
Students take part in hands-on activities that make mental health concepts concrete and relevant to real situations.
Built for Teens
Back Pocket was created specifically for middle and high school students, with relevant topics, age-appropriate language, and active learning that respects adolescents.
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Independent evaluation. Meaningful student gains.
After five lessons, students participating in Back Pocket showed meaningful gains in emotion regulation, relationship skills, and classroom involvement.
92%
Emotion Regulation
Independent evaluation of 118 students in grades 6–12.
83%
Supportive Relationships
4x
Classroom Involvement
Emotion Regulation
Winner of the 2025 EdTech Cool Tool Awards
Recognized by EdTech Digest as one of the most innovative learning solutions of the year. See Announcement
Five units.
Practical tools for real life.
Five focused units introduce practical mental health skills, while 65 Practice Activities help students revisit, apply, and strengthen those skills throughout the year.
Mood & Motivation
Students explore everyday actions that can support mood, motivation, calm, and connection.
Anxiety Resets
Students practice simple strategies for managing stress, anxiety, and overwhelming moments.
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Gratitude & Positivity
Students use gratitude and positive reflection to strengthen perspective and connection.
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Technology & Self-Control
Students examine screen habits, make intentional choices, and create a realistic plan for healthier use.
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Personal Coping Toolkit
Students identify the strategies that work best for them and build a toolkit for real situations.
Easy for Schools to Launch.
Powerful for Students to Use.
Start with five focused units, then extend practice throughout the year in ways that fit your schools.
Clear Starting Point
Five focused units give schools a practical, manageable way to begin.
Practice That Continues
65 Practice Activities help students revisit and apply skills throughout the year.
Flexible Implementation
Ready-to-use materials, facilitator training, and implementation support help schools use Back Pocket across Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3.
Simple, School-Friendly Pricing
Back Pocket is designed to be affordable and easy to adopt. One site license unlocks everything teachers and students need for a full year
$1,950 / site / year
Full digital portal access
On-demand training videos
1 workshop, 5 lessons
Teacher + student handouts
50+ reinforcement activities
Parent resources
Discounts available for pilots, rural schools, and multi-site licenses.
Trusted by educators. Built for real classrooms.
School counselors, social workers, and teachers value Back Pocket for making mental health skill-building practical for students, engaging in the classroom, and manageable for educators.
“Most content on mental health is 80% information, 20% action and what I love about Back Pocket is that it is 80% action and 20% information.”
Ryan Herringa
Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - University of Wisconsin Madison
“Back Pocket provides many useful, sound, and practical ideas that are research-based. They are the type of strategies a student can grab hold of at any moment……this is truly a journey worth taking as it reminds our youth that they have exactly what they need.”
Gust Athanas
Board Certified School Counselor for Middleton - Cross Plains Area School District (WI)
“Back Pocket tools are taught in a conversational, stigma-reducing way that immediately engages kids.”
Lisa Courchaine
LCSW, UnityPoint Health - Meriter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
“As a high school social worker for over 20 years, I have often searched for easy-to-use tools that will assist teens in managing their moods and emotions. Back Pocket fits my criteria and I would recommend it to any staff member looking for an organized, engaging way to teach coping skills to adolescents.”
Debbie Strick
Social Worker at Appleton Area School District (WI)
“Back Pocket went great!! We had great discussion and participation from kids you never would've guessed. I could not be more pleased.”
Eric Todd
Alternative Education Teacher, Kearney School District (MO)
Professional Development for Educators
Support the adults who support students.
