We’re honored to announce that OMM has joined The Mental Health Coalition as an official member. The coalition is made up of the most passionate and influential organizations, brands, and individuals working to end the stigma surrounding mental health and to change the way people talk about and care for mental illness. Our Minds Matter […]
We loved every minute of our bright night! And we are so grateful to everyone who made our 10th anniversary a huge success — including the 180 attendees who were there with us on Friday, December 9th in downtown DC to mark this milestone achievement. One of the most amazing parts of the night was […]
We are thrilled to share that our Executive Director, Lauren Anderson, has been named a 2022 Washingtonian of the Year! Read Lauren’s interview and see the whole list of Washingtonians here! This year, the Washingtonian gave the honor to 11 locals “who make our region an even better place.” The list includes journalist Bob Woodward, pitcher Sean Doolittle, and nonprofit executive directors like Adriana Gomez Schellhaas (Casa […]
WHEN: Friday, December 9th, 7pm-10pm WHERE: The Showroom, 1099 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005 [map] ATTIRE: Cocktail attire PARKING: While we recommend car sharing or metro, guests may also park in the building garage. Parking is available for $5 in the Franklin Garage (1370 L Street NW). To get to the Showroom from the […]
In March 2010, with the nudge of a close college friend, my family and I began raising money through an annual run we created in Josh’s memory. We didn’t yet have a firm plan of how we would use the donations–but we knew we wanted to reach teens directly with mental health resources and support. […]
We are so excited to announce that Our Minds Matter has been chosen as a first-round recipient of a $50,000 grant from Born This Way Foundation’s Kindness in the Community Fund. Born This Way Foundation, co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, supports the mental health of young people and works with them […]
by Kheira Bekkadja This past fall, I started my first semester of college with a life-long goal of working to build bridges literally by studying civil & infrastructure engineering and figuratively through de-stigmatizing mental health and youth empowerment. My passion for mental health started as a sophomore in high school, when I served as the […]
Are you looking for an fulfilling opportunity to work with students and promote mental health? OMM is currently hiring for 2 positions. You can be our new associate director of impact or our new program coordinator! Please check out the attached job description for more details about the positions to determine which one is the […]
On Wednesday, May 20, 2022 Our Minds Matter’s own Kheira Bekkadja was invited to the White House for the first-ever Mental Health Youth Action Forum, an event led by MTV Entertainment. Kheira joined OMM in 2018 as part of her school’s club, and she’s now a senior advisor on our Teen Advisory Council. Kheira was […]
On May 1st, to kick off Mental Health Acceptance month, Our Minds Matter (OMM) partnered with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to host the first annual Move for Mental Health community event. OMM Executive Director, Lauren Anderson and FCPS Mental Wellness Specialist, Bethany Demers opened the event by sharing how OMM and FCPS have been […]
On World Teen Mental Wellness Day, we are pleased to announce that OMM is one of the 2022 recipients of the Hollister Confidence Fund grant program, a 501(c)(3) charity that supports individuals and nonprofits working to strengthen confidence and mental wellness in teens. As a recipient, OMM will be granted $50,000 to grow our nationwide network of 130+ student-led high […]
Eighty (80) student leaders from forty-five (45) schools joined our online Back to School Leadership Training on Thursday, August 19th 2021. The goal of this training is to welcome brand new student leaders, provide them with insight into OMM, club resources, and how to transition to hosting meetings in person (as opposed to online). We […]
Our Minds Matter was one of 14 local organizations to receive funding from the Inova Health System’s Community Health Fund to support it’s upstream youth-led suicide prevention program in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) this coming school year. The Community Health Fund is an opportunity for Inova to invest in the community through partnerships that […]
welcome home, mental health heroes! Mental Health activists and friends, Heath Saffer and Omar Baloch finished their 4,300 miles cross-country trek over Fourth of July weekend, ending their journey in Bethany Beach, DE. Heath & Omar lost their childhood friend, Devon Rubenstein, to suicide and CYCLE4LIFE was created by Our Minds Matter and the Devon C. […]
July is BIPOC Mental Health Month, a time to bring to the forefront the particular challenges Black, Indigenous, & People of Color in the United States face in regards to their mental health (MHA 2021). This month, Our Minds Matter will be celebrating BIPOC Mental Health Month with the use of a toolkit designed by […]
Did you know that adding things like captions to videos is an example of an equitable practice? Adding captions to videos or pictures makes media more accessible to people of all abilities. Bulldogs Minds Matter from Garfield High School in Seattle, WA has started using another equitable social media practice that you might not be […]
April 12 -16 is National Youth Violence Prevention Week School shootings and teen violence is a growing issue in America. The purpose of National Youth Violence Prevention Week (NYVPW) is to bring awareness to the signs and statistics of youth violence while also finding and practicing different strategies to prevent youth violence. Check out ways […]
April 7th is World Health Day! One way to participate in World Health Day is by saying thank you to our health care workers! Ways to say thank you: Send a gratitude message to health care workers A lot of hospitals have a way to send thank you notes to their workers! Look up your […]
Our Minds Matter at Abington Senior High School recently held a presentation titled “Queer People and Mental Health.” This was a joint initiative with their school’s GSA chapter to talk about how queer identity and experiences impact mental health. Student leaders from both clubs joined forces to raise awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ […]
Join us to close the month-long campaign at OMM’s Thrive Brunch on May 23rd at 11am EST. This event is Our Minds Matter’s Spring fundraising event, which will celebrate OMM students on a year of wins against the stigma around mental health. Come early for a fun and simple virtual cooking session where we […]
Marshall Minds Matter held a Kindness Week from February 16th through February 19th! They chose different colors each day for a different way to express kindness: kindness to self (pink), kindness to faculty (red & blue, Marshall HS’s school colors), kindness through COVID (white), and kindness to others (purple). They kicked off their Kindness Week […]
On Sunday, March 21st, 82 student leaders from 44 OMM chapters across the globe rang in spring. It was our most international class yet, students came from Virginia and Maryland to Medellin, Colombia. By the luck of the Irish, we had some new prospective leaders from Northern Ireland visit us as well. The training started […]
It’s #NEDAwareness Week 2021 (Feb 22-28). We’re collaborating with NEDA to invite ‘Every Body to Have a Seat at the Table’ by encouraging conversations about food, body image, and exercise issues on social media. Together we can bust myths, reflect on personal journeys, and point people to support and resources. Here are some club activities […]
Our Minds Matter’s team of renowned panelists are joining us in order to give a holistic view of what is hindering Black youth access to mental health support. Let’s meet them! Justin Graves – Justin is the founder and owner of HESONWHEELS, project manager for the Department of Homeland Security in D.C. He has […]
Happy Black History Month! You cannot have American History without Black History! Our Minds Matter is happy to begin the month with a celebration of Black contributions to our understanding of mental health. Our Minds Matter would like to start Black History Month by giving a loving shoutout to Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, a pioneering […]
February 1st through 5th is National Counselor Appreciation Week. There are many ways we can show counselors our gratitude such as: creating marketing material for your club’s social media explaining reasons to go see your counselor for reasons beyond class scheduling and college applications writing thank you emails or notes to your counselors highlighting counselors […]
Avon Grove Minds Matter has been collecting letters to give to frontline workers at Jennersville Hospital in West Grove, Pennsylvania. They are encouraging friends, family, and community members to contribute drawings, notes, or letters to show appreciation for their community’s first responders. Club leaders have set up a dropbox for small packages at the front […]
On Sunday January 10th, Our Minds Matter hosted its Winter Leadership Training where over 75 students from 45 schools across the country joined to learn about how they can end the stigma against mental health in their school environments. A panel of student leaders presented tips, tricks, and challenges on the following topics: student recruitment, […]
Every meeting, Jag Minds Matter chooses a topic related to mental health to discuss. One of the recent topics they discussed was their school’s confidentiality policy. They talked about the rules are around confidentiality at Northwest High School are since not many people do not understand these rules. They went on to talk about what […]
Our Minds Matter is an upstream suicide prevention model based on resiliency research and the power of peer-to-peer influence among adolescents. Through student-led activities and campaigns, OMM clubs aim to improve four outcome areas: 1) help-seeking behavior, 2) positive coping skills, 3) social connectedness and 4) pro-social skills. In this study, we surveyed OMM members […]
If you’re an organization that helps teenagers in a complementary aspect, consider becoming a partner with us. Or if you are a business that wants to save the youth that will make up our workforce in the future, help us by sponsoring a program we offer. There’s so much that can be done when we […]
Your tax-deductible donation can help fund critical programs in schools that empower our youth to reach out in times of need so that they never turn to suicide. Donate now.
Our Minds Matter’s 2021 Winter Leadership Training will be held on Sunday, January 10th from 1 – 2 pm EST. All student leaders are highly encouraged to sign up for this training. Club sponsors are invited to attend as well but it is not required. Attendees will connect with other clubs, hear from a panel […]
Dear OMM Family, A Not So Silent Night: Shining A Light On Mental Health was a large success! We raised over $50,000 and broke our expected viewership ratings. It is all thanks to you. We hope you enjoyed the powerful and poignant messages from our student leaders who work daily to end the stigma in […]
Westfield Minds Matter graciously invited us to attend their holiday club meeting. They used a Jamboard to anonymously open up the floor for participants to create sticky notes about how people are really doing these days. Next, student leaders dove into eating disorders and eating around the holidays. They prefaced this discussion with a trigger […]
Woodson Minds Matter held a Virtual Kindness Week to commemorate World Kindness Day which was Friday, November 13th 2020. Each day students and staff dressed in a color to represent different ways to show kindness to others and to one’s self. Monday – presented colors to wear for the rest of the week on the […]
Our Minds Matter will be competing in a fun Giving Tuesday competition on December 1st! Help us get as many unique gifts of any amount during 3-4pm EST and 8-9pm EST GIVING POWER HOURS in order to help us win thousands of dollars that we can put towards developing teen mental health programming. Join us […]
Watkins Mill Minds Matter from Montgomery County, Maryland has taken efforts to promote inclusivity in their club by sharing interest meeting slides in English and Spanish. This practice contributes to making their club meetings a safe space for students to join in on the conversation surrounding mental health and its stigma. Thank you Watkins Mill […]
Cougar Minds Matter from Quince Orchard High School is partnering with the Quince Orchard Athletic Department to include QO girls’ soccer, football, and cross country teams. “The positivity and mental health of our athletes is essential. We are all in this together and we have each other’s back!” Go Cougars. Your minds matter. Slide into […]
World Mental Health Day is this week and that’s a special day for us at Our Minds Matter. While World Mental Health Day is on a Saturday, the battle for fighting the stigma against mental health is daily. Last fall, the CDC released a report stating a 56% rise in teen suicide from 2007 to […]
our minds matter: changing the school culture around mental health This week we’re talking with Lauren Anderson, the executive director of Our Minds Matter, a local non-profit organization working toward the day when no teens turn to suicide. She co-founded the organization in 2012 after the death of her brother Josh. Anderson shares information about Our Minds Matter club […]
On Saturday, September 26th we officially kicked off the school year will all our student leaders!
This month at OMM is #selfcareSeptember. On our social media, we’ll be focusing on ways YOU can fill up YOUR cup all month long.
Did you miss the Summit? Don’t sweat it, you can review the recordings from this year’s summit here.
JAF Executive Director, Lauren Anderson, presented our minds matter to the FCPS Student Advisory Council in November 2016 and January 2017. SAC, the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council is composed of student representatives from every high school in the county. The council meets once a month to discuss issues affecting students and at the end of the […]
The weather was perfect for the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Washington DC on March 15, 2014 – the venue for JAF’s 5th Annual Running to Remember Josh. Over 30 runners came from 10 states to run and support JAF’s largest fundraiser. Our goal was $30,000 but due to the generosity of all our […]
The students at Langley HS chose JAF to be the recipient of their annual RAVE-A-THON fundraiser held at the school on March 15th, 2014 from 12 midnight to 4am. Over 400 tickets were sold and the event raised $13,576.84!! THANK YOU to all the kids, parents and donors!! Signage letting kids know that funds were […]
This post is an example of how Josh’s life has impacted so many….last month, we received an email from Danielle, one of Josh’s friends since 7th grade, who is now at Elon University. Impacted by his death 5 years ago, she wanted to do something to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention so […]
JAF’s first NYC Charity Ride took place on Saturday, February 1st at Revolve Fitness. Close to 50 bikers came out for a powerful 45 minute spin class, followed by a raffle including items from DyBar, Birchbox, Essie, Fresh, YummieTummie and Flywheel. Delicious refreshments were donated by Batter & Cream and Honeydrop. A full spin […]
January 24 – 29, 2014 – Stress Less, Laugh More at Langston Hughes Middle School. JAF supplied 1,200 Laugh More buttons, 300 friendship bracelets, 300 motivational/character pencils and resources. Friday: “Laugh More” – What Makes You Laugh? Monday: “Safety Nets/Resiliency” – Who is Your Go-To Person? Tuesday: “Reducing Stress” – How Do You Cope With Stress? Wednesday: […]
November 14th, 2013 – 2nd Annual Bar Fundraiser at The Tavern in Great Falls, VA- our goal was $10,000. Thanks to all of our sponsors and donors, we exceeded our goal by 60% (over $16,000)!! See press release and news article for more details. March 16, 2013 – 4th Annual Running to Remember Josh. Almost $28,000 was raised!
December 2 – 6, 2013 – Centreville High School’s Mental Wellness Week Mellow Monday: Students watched a “Healthy Living Tips” video Water bottles were distributed before school with “Stress Less Smile More” stickers emphasizing the importance of staying hydrated Mellow music played during lunch to provide a calm, stress-less atmosphere Kids wore pajamas to […]
JAF was pleased to support John Champe High School’s 1st annual Mental Wellness Week by providing Laugh More buttons, resource materials and free yoga to staff and students. JCHS is a brand new high school in Loudoun County. Their Director of School Counseling was Josh’s counselor at South Lakes HS and is a firm […]
Since last year’s Mental Wellness Week (see post), South Lakes HS has officially started an Active Minds club which sponsored this year’s highly visible and impactful week. Tuesday: “Reducing Stress” – activities in the cafeteria during all lunches will be focused on sharing ideas on how to reduce stress. Depression screening of the junior class. […]
McLean High School’s 2nd annual Stress Less, Laugh More campaign was another success! JAF was pleased to support the campaign by providing Laugh More buttons, stress management/benefits of laughter postcards, resource materials, spray paint, candy and free laughter yoga Activities during the week include the following: Monday – Nutrition Day food facts healthy snacks after school […]
We are excited to share that the Laugh More, Stress Less campaign is not only impacting students in the US, but overseas! Facing the same AP and final exam schedule as their US counterparts, the students at the Patch American School benefited from a week focused on stress management and the benefits of laughter. Their […]
The Active Minds chapter at TJ ran their 2nd annual Stress Less, Laugh More campaign during one of the most stressful times of the year – right before AP and final exams. Here are some of the activities: Free food Laugh More buttons Limbo TED talk: “Happy Secret to Better Work“ Stress balls Finger painting […]
“47 LB students attempted suicide last year.” This heart-dropping sentence begins the article, Mental Health Awareness deserves more than a week, in Lake Braddock High School’s paper, written by editor-in-chief, Divya Williams. This is one of the most head-on, straight-forward articles that we have seen printed in a school paper thus far. Other sobering stats are […]
The DC Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon on Saturday, March 16th was the venue for the Fourth Annual Running to Remember Josh. Over 30 runners and supporters came from all over the country: Washington DC, Colorado, New York City, NY; Boston, MA and Atlanta/Athens, GA. Thanks to the generosity of over 400 donors, almost $28,000 was […]
At JAF, our goal is to fund programs in high schools that could’ve impacted Josh and stopped him from making the irrevocable decision to end his life. We believe that goal was accomplished this week. JAF along with our partner, Safe Community Coalition, brought Active Minds speaker, Jordan Burnham to four high schools (McLean HS, […]
Successful fundraising events in 2012 raised over $40,000! We are so grateful for the love and support of all of our donors! November 15, 2012 – First Annual JAF Fall Bar Fundraiser May 19, 2012 – 5K Run/Walk for Youth Mental Wellness – see news article May 12, 2012 – 1st annual Herndon Middle School’s 5K Run/Walk for Mental Health […]
Thanks to all who came out to support another successful bar fundraiser for JAF, held on Thursday, November 15th at The Tavern in Great Falls, VA. We wanted to match what was raised at our first bar fundraiser in March and thanks to generous donations, we exceeded our goal and raised over $9,000! Over 100 people […]
Peter Classi was introduced to the Josh Anderson Foundation from college friend, John O’Reilly, boyfriend of Lauren Anderson. John had included Peter in the email he sent out to friends and family when he was raising money for the 2012 National Half Marathon in March. When Peter heard about Josh’s story and what JAF was […]
The week before AP exams is one of the most stressful times of the year. Interested students, counselors and administration came up with the following “Stress Less, Laugh More” campaigns that were implemented during the week of April 30th – May 4th. Langley High School – All week was pajama week. School rock was […]
Students, counseling staff and administration collaborated on and implemented an entire week of programs to educate students on mental health issues. Each day had a theme and targeted activities. Monday: “Welcome to Mental Wellness Week” – Students wrote something that they liked about themselves/what they would not change on a sticky note and posted on […]
Here is a list of the initiatives we are funding this spring: Stress Less, Laugh More Campaign High school is a very stressful time in an adolescent’s life and for many kids, stress can be counter-productive and even debilitating. Active Minds has partnered with the Josh Anderson Foundation (JAF) to modify one of their most […]
The DC Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon and Marathon on Saturday, March 17th was the venue for the Third Annual Running to Remember Josh. Seventeen runners and their supporters came from DC, NYC, Boston, Atlanta and the campuses of UVA, Virginia Tech, UNC, William & Mary and Penn State. Thanks to the generosity of the […]
Thank you to everyone who showed up and gave their support to The Josh Anderson Foundation on March 14th 2012 at the Tavern at Great Falls. The night consisted of drinks being served by guest bartenders of all ages; items such as gym memberships, massages, and dining certificates being raffled off; a live auction; and […]
The Josh Anderson Foundation is excited to announce its partnership with Active Minds, Inc., an organization dedicated to championing the mental health and wellness of students and young adults. Focused on promoting youth mental wellness, the Josh Anderson Foundation supports organizations doing great work for our youth in all areas of mental health. Active Minds empowers the […]
