Degrassi Creators Announce $1M Gift to Launch Mental Health Partnership Between Kids Help Phone and Trent University

Collaboration between Trent University and Kids Help Phone to create a seamless, integrated model of care for post-secondary students

TORONTO (ON), June 25, 2026 – Today, Kids Help Phone (KHP) and Trent University announced a major $1 million gift from legendary television creators and philanthropists Linda Schuyler ’18 (hon) and Stephen Stohn ’66, ’15 (hon). This significant investment will fund a five- year partnership designed to integrate national mental health support with campus-based services creating an innovative model that provides post-secondary students with immediate, barrier-free access to care.

A New Integrated Model of Student Care

For decades, Schuyler and Stohn have shaped youth culture, through the Degrassi franchise, championing the message that no young person should have to navigate life’s challenges alone. This gift extends the couple’s commitment beyond the screen, integrating KHP’s national digital infrastructure with Trent’s student-centred wellness initiatives to create a more connected and accessible model of support.

The collaboration advances a new accessible, responsive model of student mental health support by bringing together KHP’s national digital tools and Trent’s campus-based services. Key components of the partnership include:

• Trent will integrate direct pathways to Kids Help Phone’s services, providing students with immediate access to professional support in over 100 languages via phone-based interpretation.
• Students will gain streamlined access to KHP’s suite of services, including online messaging, moderated peer-to-peer communities, and ‘Resources Around Me’, a localized directory of mental health supports across Trent’s campuses.
• The partnership aligns KHP’s existing Youth Ambassadors with Trent’s student-led peer support teams. By standardizing training and escalation protocols, the initiative ensures students can move seamlessly between digital, peer, and professional supports.

Kids Help Phone will provide Trent with aggregated, de-identified trends on youth mental health, enabling the University to refine its services, identify emerging needs early, and develop resources tailored specifically to the student experience.

“Linda and Stephen have spent decades helping young people feel seen, heard and less alone,” said Aaron Sanderson, President and CEO, Kids Help Phone Foundation. “This gift carries that commitment forward in a powerful way. By bringing together Trent’s campus-based supports with Kids Help Phone’s 24-hour virtual services, this partnership will make it easier for students to find the right support, at the right time and in the way that works best for them. We are deeply grateful to Linda and Stephen for their generosity, leadership and belief that every young person deserves a place for their feelings to go.”

“This partnership helps achieve Trent’s goal of supporting student well being, through action,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, president and vice chancellor of Trent University. “By connecting our student- centred wellness supports with KHP’s national digital tools and 24/7 services, we are creating a more accessible model of care that connects students with the right resources – when and how they need them.”

“Through our work on Degrassi, we saw how vital it is for young people to feel seen and heard,” said Schuyler/Stohn. “This partnership is about ensuring that whether a student is on campus or at home, they have a reliable, accessible, and supportive hand to hold when they need it most.”

As a member of the KHP Foundation Board, Schuyler was also a member of the Feel Out Loud campaign cabinet, which helped build a national movement for youth mental health. She has also donated all author proceeds from her memoir, The Mother of All Degrassi, to Kids Help Phone. As co-chair of the Trent’s Momentous Campaign, Schuyler is deeply connected to the University through her philanthropy with Stohn and her engagement with the broader Trent community.

Stohn served as Trent’s 12th Chancellor for seven years, with his term ending on July 1. Throughout his illustrious career as an entertainment lawyer, Stohn remained deeply involved with Trent. He was presented with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007 and the Tony Storey Alumni Service award in 2026. During his term as chancellor, he prioritized student resilience and connecting Trent’s campus communities with national resources.

Schuyler/Stohn’s philanthropic support has been instrumental in the development of several projects. Including a leadership gift to make the University’s Student Centre a reality. Their support for the partnership between KHP and Trent helps ensure that vital, barrier-free mental health services reach students wherever they are.

About Kids Help Phone

Kids Help Phone (KHP) is Canada’s only free, national, 24/7, multilingual and confidential e-mental health service for youth to get help and Feel Out Loud. Kids Help Phone Foundation inspires generosity and raises funds across Canada to deliver on KHP’s promise to youth. Together, KHP and KHP Foundation unlock the hope young people need to thrive in their world by scaling access to support, advancing equity and accelerating innovation so youth can always Feel Out Loud and get trustworthy help for any feeling or issue, big or small. Help means everything at KidsHelpPhone.ca

About Trent University’s Momentous Campaign

The $100 million Momentous Campaign is the boldest fundraising initiative in Trent University’s history – an ambitious call to turn possibility into something momentous. Launched in March 2023, the Campaign supports Trent’s vision for the future: where students are empowered to lead with purpose, research drives real-world change, and physical spaces inspire connection, learning, and innovation. Through the Campaign, the University is fundraising for areas such as advancing reconciliation and Indigenous Knowledge, cultivating solutions for a changing planet and driving the momentum behind student success.

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For more information, please contact:

Warren Hardie
Manager, Media Relations and Influencer Engagement, Kids Help Phone
[email protected]
437-962-2557

Celia Ernst
Manager, Communications, Trent University
[email protected]
705-748-1011 x6240