Our Minds Matter was recently honored with the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APA Foundation) Award for Advancing Minority Mental Health. This recognition reflects the incredible impact of our school-based clubs, particularly in communities where access to mental health resources is often limited. The APA Foundation presented the award to Our Minds Matter alongside the Knights […]
Today is World Mental Health Day, a day dedicated to mobilizing support for mental health care worldwide. OMM student leaders and club sponsors empowered over 67,000 teens last school year to take care of their mental health. This year, we aim to reach 100,000 teens to continue building a world where mental health is prioritized. […]
The only truly legal and safe thing to do is to not use drugs or alcohol at all…But let’s be real — that’s not always the reality. Some teens may choose to drink or use substances. So, then what? Although youth substance use remains at historic lows, the number of fatal drug overdoses has risen […]
Pride Saves Lives LGBTQ+ young folks face mental health barriers that their straight & cisgender counterparts do not. According to The Trevor Project’s 2024 National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People: 66% of young LGBTQ+ people experienced symptoms of anxiety 53% experienced symptoms of depression 39% seriously considered suicide in the past […]
Our Minds Matter (OMM) was honored to be invited to the World Eating Disorder Action Day Summit at the United Nations on May 31st, hosted by The National Alliance for Eating Disorders (NAED) & The Mental Health Coalition. Eating Disorders are often incorrectly brushed off as “vanity” or “just a diet” and are not centered […]
This spring, Our Minds Matter was named a 2024 winner of the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health Innovation Award. The award recognizes the innovation and impact of our new teen center program, piloted in the 2023-24 school year in all 13 teen and community centers in Fairfax County. As part of this award, […]
Our Minds Matter attended the Congressional briefing “What do young people need from their communities to support their mental health?” hosted by Crisis Text Line and Mental Health Liaison Group in conjunction with the Senate bipartisan Mental Health Caucus on Thursday, March 14th. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), members of […]
springing forward together Solving the youth mental health crisis will take an ecosystem of mental health champions working together. That’s why we are thrilled to announce a budding partnership between Our Minds Matter (OMM) and Active Minds. By making Active Minds materials available directly to OMM clubs through our club portal, we will expand the […]
move with music for mental health action day 2024! On Thursday, May 16, Our Minds Matter (OMM) is partnering with MTV Entertainment Studios to encourage schools to “Move with Music” for Mental Health Action Day (MHAD) 2024! This is the second year in a row that MTV has awarded OMM a $5,000 grant for MHAD. […]
Two weeks after our comedy show benefit, we’re still smiling — from the laughs AND from the warmth and joy of our OMM community. So many friends and supporters came out on February 21 to enjoy an evening of stand-up comedy at Arlington Drafthouse. The show was sold out!! And together, we raised more than […]
Yorktown Swim & Dive Team Thousands of teens participate in Our Minds Matter clubs every year. However, we find that in traditional club settings, cisgender boys are often underrepresented in participation, even though they are a high-risk group. We developed the Athletes’ Minds Matter program to reach a wider audience. By reaching teens where their […]
Wednesday, February 21, 2024 · 7pm @ Arlington Drafthouse We are excited to announce that Our Minds Matter will be hosting our first-ever stand-up comedy show on February 21 at the Arlington Drafthouse, a historic 1930s art deco style theater serving a full dinner menu (and full-service bar, of course)! This incredible show will […]
omm collaborates with local organizations to support lgbtq+ youth On Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, OMM Team members — Mo, Rachel, Julia and Mikal — tabled at Spotify and The Ally Coalition’s (TAC) All Things Go festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. The two-day event invited community members to stop and chat with […]
including eating disorders in conversations about mental health On June 2, 2023, members of the OMM Team attended the first-ever World Eating Disorder Action Day (WEDAD) at the United Nations. The luncheon and briefing were hosted by the National Alliance for Eating Disorders and the Mental Health Coalition. Lauren Anderson, OMM Founder and Executive Director, […]
Our Minds Matter (OMM) works toward the day when no teen dies by suicide. OMM empowers teens to change the culture around mental health in their schools and communities. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10–14 and the third leading cause of death for young people ages 15–24 in […]
As a new school year begins, the OMM Team is happy to introduce the members of the 2023-24 Teen Advisory Council (TAC)! TAC allows high school students within the OMM network to enact change by providing input on OMM’s goals and program and communications strategies. After an application process, selected students serve on the Council […]
Our Minds Matter kicked off the school year by hosting our Back-to-School virtual training on Thursday, August 17. It was incredible to share space with so many students excited to start this year strong. The event began with an Opening Connection of Speed-Friending. Attendees were randomly put into breakout rooms to quickly answer questions like […]
The High Point Hippos Swim Team hosted its annual Swim-for-a-Cause fundraiser on July 6, 2023 to benefit Our Minds Matter. OMM works in many of the schools where Hippos attend, including Meridian, McLean, Marshall, and Madison, and many others. This event provides swimmers with the opportunity to develop team spirit and camaraderie and work together […]
We are so grateful for everyone who made it out to the Our Minds Matter Benefit Concert for Youth Mental Health on June 17, 2023. With over three hundred people in attendance, and $14,250 raised for OMM, the concert was a huge success! Hosted at The Cutting Room in New York City, the concert featured […]
Move with Music for Mental Health Action Day 2023! On May 18, Our Minds Matter (OMM) partnered with MTV Entertainment Studios to encourage schools to “Move with Music” for Mental Health Action Day (MHAD) 2023! OMM was 1 of 22 nonprofit organizations selected by MTV Entertainment Studios to receive an MHAD grant this year. MHAD […]
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 are thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2023 Changemaker Awards sponsored by Shift, an organization that coaches teams and organizations on how to use continuous improvement methods to design and get the most impact out of their work. Shift is passionate about supporting youth to use their agency and voice to improve mental […]
Our Minds Matter kicked off 2023 by hosting a virtual Student Leader Social on Saturday, January 21 . We loved seeing students gather for this meet-up, where they connected and brainstormed with one another regarding self care, school-wide campaigns, and leading their clubs. After a fun warm-up activity where students guessed the names of […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Happy Pride Month! Pride is a wonderful time for LGBTQ+ folks to celebrate their identity and community, and a good time for aspiring allies to show their support. It’s also an important time to talk about LGBTQ+ mental health. According to the Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health 2021, 75% of […]
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 […]
Thursday, May 19th, 2022 is the second annual Mental Health Action Day. While promoting mental health awareness and acceptance is necessary, chipping away at the stigma around mental health requires action. Mental health action looks different for everyone and individual action is just as important as collective, societal action. Watch the how clubs in the […]
OMM was honored to host our first in-person teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) training at Columbia Heights Educational Campus in Washington, DC last month! tMHFA is a course brought to you by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the Born This Way Foundation that teaches teens in grades 10-12 how to identify, understand, […]
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 […]
[image description: group picture of training participations & OMM staff smiling on Zoom (in gallery view)] On Sunday afternoon, January 30th, 2022, 78 student leaders from 54 schools within the Our Minds Matter club network joined our Mid-Year Leadership Training. With a tumultuous start to the new year due to surges in COVID-19 cases across […]
Happy black history month In celebration of Black History Month, Our Minds Matter is bringing awareness to Black youth mental health through our second annual Black Youth Minds Matter campaign. This month, we will be hosting a series of special events, sharing resources that support Black youth, and highlighting mental health professionals that are changemakers […]
“A not so silent night” proved to be just that: we shined a light on mental health! On Thursday, December 9th in downtown D.C., OMM hosted a meaningful event filled with powerful stories on mental health from our community. Thank you to the students, school staff, family, and community members, especially from our three major […]
Throughout the month of January, Our Minds Matter is offering three virtual self-care sessions to provide a time and space for everyone- students and school staff alike- to be human. Returning to school for the new year can be stressful for anyone, and combined with the added distress caused by the current Covid-19 surge, we […]
On sequential weekends in September, Our Minds Matter hosted two in person student leadership training sessions for OMM clubs located in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. In total, thirty-two student leaders from twenty-one schools participated in these training sessions to build their leadership skills and their knowledge of how to lead OMM club meetings. After the […]
Our Minds Matter (OMM) is pleased to announce our newest partner, Crisis Text Line. Crisis Text Line provides accessible and free 24/7 support for people shouldering anxiety, depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, or anything in between. How it works: Texters send a message with the word “MIND” to 741741 from anywhere in the U.S. at […]
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 […]
Pride Month is upon us! Our Minds Matter will be bringing light to the contributions of queer folx over the course of history, to the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, and to ways that we can all be better allies. Here are some findings from the Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health […]
This past Sunday, we closed out the school year at the Our Minds Matter Spring fundraising event, where we celebrated the resiliency and accomplishments of OMM students and clubs. The OMM Thrive Brunch included an inside look at OMM’s growth and impact, special break-out sessions where attendees could engage with student leaders, and the announcement […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
