Annual inquiry · 2026
The Performance of Being Okay
An exploration led with young people on emotional masking and the hidden struggles behind “I’m fine.”
The full journey
From a question to public action.
Listen at scale
Research
A study designed with young people examines emotional masking, achievement pressure, and the gap between outward performance and inner experience.
The inquiry
What does it cost to perform wellness when you are struggling?
This project examines how adolescents manage the distance between what they feel and what they show. It looks at the social, academic, and relational pressures that can make emotional masking feel necessary and the environments that make honesty possible.
What it will produce
- A research study led with young people
- An anonymous story collection
- Poetry, photography, and visual art
- A short documentary
- A community roundtable across sectors
- Recommendations for schools and communities
One inquiry, many uses
See what this project means for you.
The same youth insight becomes a different kind of resource depending on who needs to learn from it.
StudentsAnonymous student stories→Parents & CaregiversWhat students said→Teachers & EducatorsClassroom implications→School LeadersSchool climate findings→Mental Health ProfessionalsLived-experience themes→ResearchersStudy methodology→Policymakers & AdvocatesYouth recommendations→Media & JournalistsProject fact sheet→
Follow the inquiry