You want to say yes. Your students need this. But where does the money come from?
90+ Schools Served | 40,000+ Students Impacted
Good news: Most Alberta and Saskatchewan schools already have funding allocated specifically for programs like this—mental health promotion, student wellness, and social-emotional learning. You just need to know where to look and how to make the case. This page shows you exactly where the money is, which budget lines to use, and gives you proposal templates that make approval straightforward.
Here's What This Investment Looks Like
$3,000-$5,000 ($10-15 per student - depending on package)
What your students get:
Concert experience that reaches 100% of your school
Comprehensive School Kit (physical journals + digital resources)
Teacher lesson plans ready to use (saves 20+ hours of prep)
Parent engagement materials to continue the conversation at home
12-month licensing for all materials
Compare that to:
Individual counseling: $150+ per session (reaches fewer than 10% of students)
Creating a professional SEL curriculum from scratch: $2,500-$5,000 and months of development time
This program reaches every student in your school for less than the cost of a pizza lunch.
Where Alberta Schools Find the Money
Mental Health and Well-Being Grant (Your Best Option)
Here's what most principals don't realize:
Your school or division has already received funding specifically for mental health and well-being. It's a $23-25 million annual provincial investment ($69 million over three years) that's automatically allocated to all school authorities. No application needed—the money is already there.
This grant explicitly covers:
Social-emotional learning and mental health literacy programs
Preventive interventions and universal supports
Assemblies and workshops that promote student wellness
Resources that reduce staff workload
Tools that build resilience and positive school culture
Eric's concert and School Kit check every single box.
How to access it:
The funds are already allocated to your school or division (disbursed in phases like September and April). Talk to your principal, student services coordinator, or mental health lead about using this year's allocation. If it's already committed, plan for next fiscal year—many schools book Eric 6-12 months in advance.
Reference: Alberta Funding Manual Section H6 (Mental Health and Well-Being)
Other Alberta Funding Sources
Inclusive Education Funding
Your division receives formula-based allocations for social-emotional well-being and barriers to learning. This can absolutely cover SEL resources and external programs that promote inclusion and resilience.
Student Activities / Wellness / Arts Budgets
Many schools use per-pupil grants for assemblies, guest performers, and wellness days. Position this as an educational concert with integrated SEL curriculum—because that's exactly what it is.
Parent Advisory Councils (PACs) / School Councils
PACs often fundraise specifically for student well-being and enrichment. Many schools split the cost—PAC contributes $1,000-$1,500, and the school covers the rest from wellness budgets.
Grad Committee Budgets
Planning a grad retreat? This program is perfect for seniors transitioning to post-secondary life. The "You're Not Alone" message resonates deeply with graduating students facing uncertainty about the future.
Where Saskatchewan Schools Find the Money
Here's what you need to know:
Saskatchewan invested $4.6 million annually in the MHCB program (expanded with an additional $1.6 million in 2025-26). This funding is delivered through the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and Saskatchewan Health Authority specifically to build school capacity for mental health support.
This program supports:
Mental health promotion, prevention, and early intervention
Building school and staff capacity for SEL
Curriculum-aligned resources and professional development
Community partnerships for wellness
The School Kit provides ready-made SEL materials your teachers can use immediately (zero prep time) while Eric's concert creates the shared positive experience that makes those materials stick. That's exactly what MHCB was designed to fund.
How to access it:
Contact your school division's mental health coordinator, student services lead, or the Ministry of Education's Student Supports Unit. Ask about MHCB allocations for mental health programming.
Student Wellness and Well-Being Envelopes
Division-level funding for Comprehensive School Community Health (CSCH) supports wellness initiatives, including mental health programs, nutrition, physical activity, and student engagement events.
School Division Activity Budgets
Most divisions allocate flexible per-pupil or targeted funds for assemblies, guest experts, and cultural programming. This qualifies.
Parent and School Community Groups
Similar to Alberta PACs, these groups often support meaningful student events and can contribute partial funding.
Not Sure Which Budget Line to Use?
Here are the most common options administrators successfully use:
Mental Health & Wellness
Mental health promotion funds
Student services budget
Crisis prevention allocation
Student Activities & Programming
Assembly budget
Guest speaker allocation
Student engagement initiatives
Curriculum & Professional Development
SEL resources
Teacher training and support materials
Educational programming
Parent & Community Engagement
PAC or school council funds
Community partnership budgets
School-generated funds
Grad-Specific Programming
Grad committee budget
Senior student programming
Transition support funding
90+ Schools Said They Want Eric Back! Only 100 Spots Available This Year…
Absolutely. Many schools do exactly that—for example, PAC contributes $1,000, and mental health grant covers the remaining $2,500. Whatever makes the budget work for you.
Alberta's Mental Health and Well-Being Grant is automatic—your division already received the allocation. Saskatchewan's MHCB funding flows to divisions, so check with your student services team about accessing it.
Many schools plan for the next fiscal year or find flexibility in activity budgets. Payment plans are also available if that helps you make this work.
Use the Quick Justification One-Pager template—it's specifically designed for internal approval processes and includes all the data points administrators need to see.
Yes! Many schools book 6-12 months in advance to secure their preferred dates and align with budget planning cycles.
Booking is simple. We handle the logistics. You get a stress-free event that your students will remember.