The Why
The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health concerns. On March 31st, 2022, the CDC shared that in 2021, more than a third (37%) of high school students reported experiencing poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Real solutions are needed to address the rise of mental health concerns and suicide among high school students.
The What
Our Minds Matter (OMM) and Shift have teamed up to directly fund OMM club’s BIG ideas to shift the landscape of teen mental health using continuous improvement methods. The team at Shift is passionate about supporting youth to use their agency and voice to improve mental health in their schools and communities. In celebration of OMM’s 10-year anniversary, this year’s Shift Changemaker Award will focus on funding ideas from OMM clubs across the United States.
The how
Proposal ideas should align with OMM’s primary outcomes including encouraging self-care and healthy habits, promoting social connectedness, increasing prosocial skills, increasing help-seeking behavior, and improving peer-to-peer mental health literacy. Proposal submissions are open until Wednesday, February 1st, 2023.
The details
Up to 10 Clubs will be awarded $500 for each selected BIG idea. OMM clubs can submit up to 3 unique proposals (please complete a separate proposal form for each idea). You will receive an auto-confirmation email to confirm receipt of your proposal and OMM will follow up with any additional questions or missing pieces.
If your club is interested:
- Review the Changemakers Award Overview
- Use the Worksheet for Club Proposals to get organized
- Submit your BIG ideas here by February 1st*
- Winners will be announced by February 10th*
*extended deadlines from the original announcement