Through strategic partnerships we will improve the well-being of students, schools, and communities worldwide.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia and ranks as the 10th largest school system in the United States. FCPS serves a diverse student population of more than 188,000 students and has a graduation rate of 91.5%.
Our Minds Matter and FCPS have worked together since 2012 on mental wellness initiatives for teens. When the OMM club-model was launched in 2016, FCPS served as the first pilot site – with four school clubs.
In addition, Our Minds Matter and FCPS collaborate for the student-led track of the annual FCPS Mental Health & Wellness Conference.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is the 14th largest public school system in the United States and the largest school district in the state of Maryland. MCPS serves 160,564 students at its 209 schools and has a graduation rate of 89.3%.
The first Our Minds Matter club was launched in MCPS in the fall of 2019. The expansion of the Our Minds Matter program into MCPS is solely funded by the Devon C. Rubenstein Foundation.
District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) serves over 51,000 students at its 117 schools. DCPS has a vision that every student feels loved, challenged, and prepared to positively influence society and thrive in life.
Our Minds Matter has partnered with the DCPS’ School Mental Health Team to change school culture around mental health within the District. Together they are empowering DCPS Youth Mental Health Ambassadors (YMHA) to break down barriers for positive mental health in their school communities.
Funding from the following donors and grantors makes Our Minds Matter’s work within DCPS possible:
The Devon C. Rubenstein Foundation (DCRF) is an organization founded to prevent suicide among teens by way of creating a culture of awareness and understanding of mental health. DCRF has solely funded the expansion of Our Minds Matter student-led clubs to high schools in the Montgomery County Public School system, which was featured on NBC4 Harris’ Heroes in early 2020.
Minding Your Mind (MYM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing stigma associated with mental health issues among adolescents, teens, and young adults. Their objective is to move away from crisis-based response to prevention through education. MYM educational programs provide information regarding the warning signs and symptoms of these disorders to promote open dialogue in schools and at home to encourage families to seek appropriate help.
Promote Care & Prevent Harm (PCPH) is a nonprofit organization researching promotion/prevention science and developing youth-led change programs for schools and community partners.
The PCPH team has supported Our Minds Matter with conceptual models, training curricula, and evaluation expertise since 2018.
Service Never Sleeps (SNS) is a nonprofit that focuses on empowering individuals and communities to catalyze social justice through service and allyship. SNS trains community members to be bridge-building allies and to promote social justice. SNS also partners with companies to coordinate skills-based service projects to promote equal rights, justice, and opportunity for all.
OMM and SNS have partnered on multiple ten-month fellowship opportunities – the most recent being an SNS fellow who is designing a program data dashboard to increase OMM programmatic efficiency and impact. Additionally, OMM staff have utilized SNS resources and training on racial justice and allyship.
The Hidden Opponent (THO) is an advocacy group that raises awareness for student-athlete mental health and addresses the stigma within sports culture. THO empowers athletes around the world to face the hidden opponent together.
This is My Brave (TIMB) is a nonprofit that serves as a platform for individuals to share their stories about living with mental health conditions through artistic expression (poetry, music, dance, comedy, and essay readings) in front of a live audience. TIMB has produced over 75 shows in cities across the United States and believes that with storytelling we can break down the stigma surrounding mental illness.
The John Cleaver Kelly Foundation (JCK) works with communities and schools to improve mental wellness and resilience amongst youth through the Legends Program. JCK believes progress can be made one school at a time, through hands-on awareness and prevention programs that encourage an understanding that every person and story needs to feel valued, accepted and motivated to make a positive impact.
Youth Health Connection (YHC) is a community benefits program of South Shore Health. It is dedicated to developing the positive mental health and physical well-being of young people across South Shore, Massachusetts. Youth Health Connection collaborates with schools, community health providers, law enforcement officers, state agencies, religious leaders, parents, and peer leaders to help young people deal with the various challenges they face as they grow and mature. This regional coalition is committed to improving the lives of young people through evidence-based programs and research-backed practices in the health and education fields.
YHC and OMM are partners in delivering the Our Minds Matter club-model to schools in the South Shore, MA jurisdiction.