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Back to School Kick Off

On Saturday, September 26th we officially kicked off the school year will all our student leaders!

our.minds.matter

teens changing culture around mental health ✨
text MIND to 741741 for 24/7 support from @crisistextline or call 988 to reach @988lifeline

OMM Teen Leader Nushrat Zaima highlighted the impo

OMM Teen Leader Nushrat Zaima highlighted the importance of peer-led initiatives at the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Montgomery County Mental Health Summit: “Elevating Community Solutions for Youth Behavioral Wellness” on October 29th. This summit brought together esteemed professionals across the mental health industry, and we’re proud to share that the teen voice was represented by OMM student leader Nushrat Zaima, who served as Youth Keynote Speaker. Read more at the link in bio 🔗 Thank you to @carefirstbcbs for hosting an incredible event and working with us to ensure the teen voice was central to the narrative 💙

OMM is proud to be teen-led, from our school clubs

OMM is proud to be teen-led, from our school clubs to the core of our organization. So we are excited to introduce the 2025-2026 cohort of our Teen Advisory Council (TAC)! 🥳 TAC empowers OMM high school student leaders from across the DMV to enact change by collaborating on OMM’s goals, programming, and communications. This year, our extraordinary leaders join us to focus on mental health advocacy — learning and empowering their peers to take action for teen mental health!🧠 Read more about this year’s TAC members at the link in our bio👀🔗

Just Released🚀: “When Teens Lead the Way: Pee

Just Released🚀: “When Teens Lead the Way: Peer Power in Promoting Mental Health” ✨ New OMM research shows the power of peer-to-peer support - via teen-led clubs - in fostering student mental health + promoting school connectedness 💬👫 📊 Surveying 200+ teens across DC-area schools with adolescent researcher, Dr. Jordan Booker (University of Missouri), we found OMM clubs don’t just help members - they ripple out to benefit the larger school communities. 🌎 When teens lead, they thrive 💪 Check out the full report 👉 link in bio #OurMindsMatter #Peer2Peer #TeenLed

As we settle into fall, Team OMM has been excited

As we settle into fall, Team OMM has been excited to see so many schools hosting Because You Matter — a bulletin board campaign where students write positive affirmations to themselves or others and display them in their school😊 In September, Hardy Minds Matter at Hardy Middle School in Washington, D.C., hosted a very successful Because You Matter campaign, with over 170 participants!💙 Students wrote notes like “You’re amazing and everything will be okay,” “You got this; don’t give up,” and “Be who you are; don’t let them change you!”🫂 Thank you Hardy Minds Matter, for uplifting kindness in your school community — We can’t wait to see all that your club accomplishes this year!🥳 A special thank you for supporting Our Minds Matter in Washington, DC Public Schools goes to the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (@apapsychiatric); if: a Foundation for Radical Possibility (@if_fdn); The J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation; Kettering Family Foundation; The MATTIE Fund (@aakomaproject); Risa Fund; Rosendin Foundation (@therosendinfoundation); Van Metre Companies (@vmcompanies); and our supporter community of mental health champions like you.

OMM was honored to present today at the 2025 @ment

OMM was honored to present today at the 2025 @mentalhealthamerica conference in Washington, DC 😊 The engagement and enthusiasm from the audience was overwhelming 🥰 Shoutout to Jasmin Goodwin (OMM student leader alumni), Laura Beth Levitt, and G Wei Ng for the incredible presentation and Kamilya Lapp (OMM club sponsor) for sharing about your involvement with OMM during the Q&A! 💙 #mentalhealthamericaconference #mentalhealthamerica #mentalhealthmatters #ourmindsmatter

🌎 October 10th is World Mental Health Day. 🧠 Let today be a reminder that our mental well-being is just as important as our physical well-being. Together, we can break the stigma, have the hard conversations, and support each other in achieving wellness. Swipe to view 10 simple ways you can take action for your mental health today and beyond. Our Minds Matter is a community partner empowering teens to change the culture of mental health in their schools. Swipe to see projects some DC Public Charter schools completed through OMM’s partnership with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education - @osse.dc! ⭐️ Culture Change in Motion:
- Empathy board-making at dcinternationalschool
- Because You Matter campaign at @paulpcs
- Anti-Bullying Door Decorating at girlsglobaldc, and
- Painting as Self-Care at @mayaschools If you need immediate support, text “MIND” to 741741 for 24/7 support from Crisis Text Line or call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. #WMHD #WMHD25 #WorldMentalHealthDay

🌎 This World Mental Health Day, we’re so prou

🌎 This World Mental Health Day, we’re so proud to celebrate by releasing our 2024-2025 School Year Impact Report! (link in bio) 📊 Our annual report shows our commitment to rigorous evaluation, as we make tangible progress toward our long-term mission - a day when no teen dies by suicide. 💙 🙏 Thank you to all mental health champions who make this work possible! From individuals who donate monthly 💌 to the institutions and government partners investing in youth 🎓🤝, our community of support means everything to our mission. 🔗 Read the full report on our website! 💻

🌊 OMM’s impact goes beyond the club - it’s

🌊 OMM’s impact goes beyond the club - it’s shaping a school-wide culture where reaching out for help is normalized. This is just one of many powerful takeaways from our new research on peer-to-peer support and teen mental health ✨ 👥 Want to learn more about our findings? Join our brown bag discussion around peer power in promoting teen health:
📅 Tuesday Oct 21st, 2025
🕐 1pm ET
👉 Register here: bit.ly/ommresearch25
📖 Read more: link in bio

Throughout Suicide Prevention Month, we’ve been

Throughout Suicide Prevention Month, we’ve been reminded that every voice makes a difference. These teens at Poolesville High School are just two of the many mental health changemakers who are part of the OMM community. Together, we’re building hope, connection, and resiliency — in OMM clubs, throughout schools, and rippling outward through entire school districts. On this last day of Suicide Prevention Month, we invite you to share your why — and read the beautiful reflections on our “Because You Matter” community wall (link in bio). 💙 Our voices form a chorus that creates hope & saves lives.

Throughout Suicide Prevention Month, we've shared

Throughout Suicide Prevention Month, we've shared the "whys" that keep us working toward a day when no teen dies by suicide. Today, we’re honored to share the story of someone very dear to the Our Minds Matter community: Jasmin Goodwin, a freshman at Haverford College who is a mental health advocate, former president of Penguin Minds Matter, and former member of our Teen Advisory Council. Jasmin's story begins: "Today, I’m a proud mental health advocate, but it was a peer’s courage to speak up for me that changed my life and showed me the importance of advocating for others..." Read Jasmin's full story + add your own "why" to our Because You Matter digital wall -- both linked in our bio.

Fall is in the air, and we are excited to start a

Fall is in the air, and we are excited to start a new school year with our OMM Network!🥳 OMM staff often attend back-to-school nights to help students and sponsors spread the word about their OMM club! Leading a small activity and handing out snacks and swag are great ways to catch people’s attention🍬 If you see an OMM staff member or club leader tabling at your school, feel free to say hello (and pick up some stickers or pins😉) Team OMM wishes everyone a great start to the school year! A special thank you for supporting Our Minds Matter goes to The J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation; Kettering Family Foundation; The MATTIE Fund (@aakomaproject); Rosendin Foundation (@therosendinfoundation); Van Metre Companies (@vmcompanies); and our supporter community of mental health champions like you. Read the full feature on our website under “Club Portal”!📝

This Suicide Prevention Month, we’re sharing the

This Suicide Prevention Month, we’re sharing the “whys” that keep us working toward a day when no teen dies by suicide. Aras Jizan -- a former OMM board member & steadfast champion of our mission -- reflects on how losing a close friend to suicide reshaped his understanding of mental health. “What if we treated mental health like physical wellness? What if we built daily practices of connection and care before we reach a breaking point?” At OMM, this is exactly what we work toward: equipping teens with mental health skills through weekly club meetings and regular school-wide events so they can navigate life's ups and downs and build a culture that prioritizes mental health -- long before a crisis occurs. This month, we're lifting up real stories. Read Aras’ reflection + add your own “why” to our Because You Matter digital wall -- both linked in our bio.

"When my brother Josh died by suicide at the age o

"When my brother Josh died by suicide at the age of 17, I was a senior in college – and my world changed in an instant. This is what eventually drove me to start Our Minds Matter, a peer-led program in schools to destigmatize mental health — and to make young people leaders of change in their school communities. So that anyone suffering in silence can hear the message: You are not alone. Read more about my story and learn how you can share yours too” — Lauren Anderson, CEO, Our Minds Matter This month, we’re lifting up real stories. Read more of Lauren’s story at the link in bio and share your why on the Because You Matter digital community wall in honor of Suicide Prevention Month 💙 #ourwhymatter #ourmindsmatter #suicidepreventionmonth

This September, our Why matters. 💙 Suicide Prev

This September, our Why matters. 💙 Suicide Prevention Month is a time to honor those we’ve lost and take action to save lives. Join us by sharing your why on the Because You Matter digital community wall (link in bio). Our Minds Matter’s Because You Matter campaign helps teens create school cultures of connection, self-love, and acceptance—and now we’re bringing it online so more voices can be heard. This month, we’re sharing the WHYs that keep us going: a board member who lost a friend to suicide, a student rising from struggle, the impact of your support—and many more inspiring stories that move us closer to a world without teen suicide.🌍✨ If you need immediate support, text “MIND” to 741741 for 24/7 help from Crisis Text Line or call 988. 💙

On August 16th, OMM’s Director of Program Develo

On August 16th, OMM’s Director of Program Development, Rachel, had the pleasure of serving on a panel at the American Psychiatric Association’s inaugural Learning Lab: Centering Community Organizations in Providing Mental Health Care. Convening nonprofit leaders and medical residents led to an energizing space of innovation that sparked hope for the future of mental health. Thank you to the APA and APA Foundation for their incredible leadership in this space and continued support of OMM’s work! Read more about the event at the link in bio🔗

Asking for help doesn’t make you weak; it makes

Asking for help doesn’t make you weak; it makes you smart. We all need backup sometimes, and that’s okay. 💙 You're not in this alone. Visit the link in our bio for mental health resources.
Shoutout to @iamkirstenferguson I @onepeloton for the inspo ✨ #OurMindsMatter #BackToSchool #HelpSeeking #AskingForHelpIsSmart

Are you interested in taking your mental health le

Are you interested in taking your mental health leadership to the next level?👀 Are you looking for a paid internship or professional development opportunity this year? Do you want to work with other OMM leaders to make an even bigger impact in this movement? Then the Teen Advisory Council (TAC) might be right for you!🥳 OMM’s TAC is an action-oriented group of students who work to shape OMM’s goals, programming, and communications to better reflect the teen perspective on mental health. As TAC enters its fifth year, we welcome you to join us in another year of changemaking.🫂 Apply at the link in our bio by August 27 — We look forward to hearing from you!🤗

As we move into summer, let’s hit reset by letti

As we move into summer, let’s hit reset by letting go of what’s been weighing us down, whether it’s self-doubt, stress, or habits that no longer serve us. Let’s start fresh together!☀️💐 - Cameron, OMM TAC

Our Minds Matter recognizes the importance of upli

Our Minds Matter recognizes the importance of uplifting teen voices in mental health awareness and action. Peer-to-peer support continues to be a core protective factor in preventing teen suicide. As we complete another school year, we would like to recognize an OMM club project that focuses on this🫂 On May 21, OC Minds Matter (@ocmindsmatter) at Ocean City High School in Ocean City, New Jersey, distributed a free self-help booklet, created by teens for teens, to its school community. The booklet combines mental health definitions and research with personal input and designs from students. Congratulations to OC Minds Matter on the release of their self-help booklet!🥳 We appreciate all those in our network who work to empower teens. Also, a special thank you for supporting Our Minds Matter goes to Imagine Learning Foundation, the J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Kettering Family Foundation, Rosendin Foundation (@therosendinfoundation), Van Metre Companies (@vmcompanies), Zephyr Impact, and our supporter community of mental health champions like you.😎 Read the full feature at the link in our bio!🔗👀

The end of the school year can be an exciting time

The end of the school year can be an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming! We often have more time on our hands, and it can be hard to keep a routine when we need it. The Our Minds Matter Teen Advisory Council (TAC) encourages you to do some reflecting, and take the time to participate in what we’re calling “summer detox mind-mapping” to get the most out of your summer.😎 Try following our example template above, and create your own unique map to help you navigate through this summer! 🎯For “My Goals,” try listing some things you are working towards achieving.
📌“Reminders” can be anything from upcoming assignments to important dates.
✅“To Do” involves anything you want to see yourself completing soon.
🧠Finally, “Mental Knots” are any concerns or worries you have clouding your mind. Feel free to adjust any categories to better fit your needs!😊 - Eliina, OMM TAC 🔗Learn more about mind mapping at the link in bio. #springreset #springdetox #mentalhealthawareness #teenmentalhealth #ourmindsmatter #teenvoice #teenadvisorycouncil

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