Our Minds Matter (OMM) recognizes the importance of uplifting teen voices in mental health awareness and action. Strong prosocial skills, one of our four program outcomes, highlight the importance of peer-to-peer support, a core protective factor in preventing teen suicide. As we complete another school year, we want to recognize an OMM club project that […]
Summer is approaching, but students must get through a final slew of end-of-year projects and responsibilities first. These last strides of the school year are when students could use intentional support and grounding from their community. With this in mind, Poolesville High School’s Hero Club — combined with Falcon Minds Matter (FMM) — in Poolesville, […]
Club sponsors are essential in making OMM clubs possible. All OMM clubs have at least one club sponsor, such as a trained psychologist, social worker, counselor, or teacher with mental health training. They help guide club planning efforts, assist in school-wide campaigns, and connect students to mental health resources. Most importantly, they are trusted adults with whom […]
The transition from winter to spring can be filled with anticipation for something new and uplifting. It can be a great chance for students to reflect and prepare for the final stretch of the school year. On February 25, Ida B. Wells Minds Matter (IMM) at Ida B. Wells Middle School in Washington, D.C., hosted […]
The start of a new semester can bring a mix of emotions, from excitement to nervousness. As a result, it is important to have ways to deal with new stressors and responsibilities. To help welcome back their student body, on January 14, Patriot Minds Matter (PMM) at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, […]
As schools prepare for winter break, many clubs host their final meetings and events before the new year. Many OMM clubs use this time to remind students to practice self-care and encourage them to participate in creative and mindful activities. This December, McKinley Minds Matter (MX3) at McKinley Technology High School in Washington, D.C., collaborated […]
As students approach the middle of the school year, many may feel overwhelmed with exams, project deadlines, and navigating complex feelings around the holiday season. Engaging with each other in a low-pressure, non-academic way can make a world of difference. Columbia Heights Education Campus’ (CHEC) CHEC Minds Matter (CMM), in Washington, D.C., brainstormed the perfect […]
As we wrap up the year, we reflect on teens’ accomplishments across the OMM Network. One initiative that stood out from this past school year was at Northwood Minds Matter (NMM) at Northwood High School in Silver Spring, MD. The students presented a display for their school-wide gallery walk, organized by Northwood’s Minority Scholars Program. […]
Sometimes it can be intimidating to brainstorm goals by ourselves. Working with others to put words (and images) to our dreams can help us feel more confident in our hopes — and more connected to those around us. That’s why in late January, Knights Minds Matter (KMM) at Ballou High School in Washington D.C., gathered […]
With a new year comes new resolutions and plans for the future. And, once the year ends, it can be can be validating and exciting to reflect on the goals we set and how we approached them. To welcome 2024, Edison Minds Matter (EMM) at Thomas Edison High School in Alexandria, VA, completed the “What’s […]
Stress can make it difficult to work through negative thought patterns. A great way to combat this is an exercise called “seeing the good,” or expressing gratitude for aspects of our lives that bring joy. In November, Stratford Academy’s Stratford Minds Matter club in Macon, Georgia, invited students to “See the good” around them through […]
Nov. 13, 2023, marked World Kindness Day! In honor of this day — meant to promote empathy and understanding in our daily lives — Robert Frost Middle School’s Eagles Minds Matter hosted a special meeting to uplift their student body. Students gathered to decorate rocks and their school sidewalks with beautiful chalk drawings. Their designs […]
What comes to mind when you think of your safe space? On April 27th, 2023, Oakton Minds Matter of Oakton High School in Vienna, Virginia explored their personal safe spaces by doing our recreate your safe space activity with a special guest – Ramona, one of our incredible Program Coordinators! The purpose of this activity […]
On Wednesday, March 29th, Hawk Minds Matter of Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria, VA hosted a lava lamp-making event to bring students together in a space dedicated to relaxation. Following community loss and transition, it was important to the members of Hawk Minds Matter to create an environment where students could practice mindfulness through crafting, […]
When we think of Valentine’s Day, we often associate it with love, joy, and positivity. For some, however, the holiday brings up feelings of isolation and loneliness. Knights Minds Matter of Ballou High School in Washington, D.C. wanted to combat the potential for feelings of isolation on Valentine’s Day. To share the love with […]
The adjustment back to school following winter break can be a tough one, especially with upcoming midterm projects and exams. Abington Minds Matter of Abington Senior High School in Abington, PA recognized this as an opportunity to connect with their peers and offer a space to engage in relaxing activities to prevent burnout. Students […]
While this time of year can be filled with merriment and glee, it can also be filled with emotions that may make you want to flee. Tests, family gatherings, and the pressure to be jolly, can leave us overwhelmed and ready to shout “oh, golly!”. The members of Gainesville Minds Matter (GMM) saw this […]
It can be easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others, especially when it comes to your body. What if instead of trying to confine ourselves to fit an imaginary and ever shifting ideal, we celebrated (and decorated) what makes us unique? This is what Wolverine Minds Matter & the Beautiful Me club […]
During the season of tricks and treats, Edison minds matter (EMM) of Edison High School in Alexandria, Virginia reminded their peers that treating yourself and others well is key to creating an environment that’s good for community mental health during their Fall Wellness Week, 10/25/22-10/28/22. Throughout EMM’s Fall Wellness Week, there were four different activities […]
The start of the school year can be exciting, overwhelming, and busy. The entire team at Our Minds Matter HQ has loved seeing how clubs have kicked off these first weeks of school with tremendous energy, ready to create space for mental health promotion. Clubs like Brookwood Minds Matter, Stratford Minds Matter, and Dolphins’ Minds […]
Colonel Minds Matter from Magruder High School in Derwood, MD developed the Resource Scavenger Hunt activity into a week-long school-wide campaign. As the club was drumming up some ideas to get the student body more involved with Colonel Minds Matter (CMM), a student leader suggested a scavenger hunt since they enjoyed doing them when they […]
Every school year, more and more students are finding the courage to start conversations to change the culture around mental health in their schools. Whether on an individual or large scale, students are advocating for their peers and for themselves. “Most of us struggle from stress or some other mental health [challenge] and we […]
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, […]
At the end of January, Abington Senior High School’s Our Minds Matter club hosted an art focused meeting to help students relieve some stress during mid-term exams. The meeting started off with club officers sharing strategies to cope with stress. Then, club members were able to visit three different stations: painting with watercolors, zentangle art, […]
We could all use a little extra love these days, so let’s throw it back to February for this week’s Club Feature! Marshall Minds Matter from Falls Church, Virginia hosted a Share the Care week for their whole school during the week of February 14th-17th. “Valentine’s Day and the theme of love were large inspirations […]
“Take what you need and give what you can” was the motto for students at New Foundations Charter School in Philadelphia, PA. Members of NFCS Minds Matter decided to spread kindness across the school by creating positive messages on post-it notes through a project called Operation Beautiful. “Virtual learning has taken an emotional toll on […]
Brookwood Minds Matter, from Snellville, GA, is well on their way to selecting their club leadership for the 2022 – 2023 school year. Brookwood started off by identifying leadership positions that would be open next school year based on which leaders were graduating seniors. Then, they created a leadership application Google Form with a list […]
As the school year comes to a close, many students are dealing with the stresses of final exams, college applications, and solidifying summer plans. Club meetings can be a space to process all that stress, and Titans Minds Matter from Bellevue, WA encouraged that reflection by hosting a Mindful Journaling activity during a club meeting. […]
Blooming Roses from Roosevelt High School in Washington, DC, a new club within the DCPS Youth Mental Health Program, hosted a three-day Self-Care Fun Fair around Valentine’s Day. Blooming Roses choose to kick off their first school-wide campaign by spreading the love around campus! Throughout the week students enjoyed various mindfulness workshops that taught wellness […]
Words of affirmation are words that communicate respect, love, and appreciation for another person or oneself. Atom Minds Matter from Annandale High School in Annandale, Virginia learned how important words of affirmation are and how much they can impact someone’s day, so they decided to share some with the whole school! One club leader shared: […]
Falcons Minds Matter from Poolesville High School in Maryland has been spreading kindness in creative ways. In January, the club teamed up with their counseling department to put on a Wellness Wednesday initiative with the theme of kindness towards self and others. [image description: students in a classroom wearing different colored shirts saying “♡ be […]
It’s always the season for self-care! Oakton Minds Matter from Oakton High School in Fairfax County, Virginia hosted a Holiday Cookie Decorating Event in December for students to unwind and have some fun. They partnered with the cooking club at their school, the Cooking Cougars, who baked all the cookies for the event. Look at […]
On November 30th, 2021, Milton Minds Matter (MMM) kicked off their first club meeting with a journaling session. Club members thought that journaling would be a great way to practice creativity and self-reflection. It’s also a great way to support a peer. Milton’s Co-President Annette Swenson, shared a testimonial of the joy students experienced while […]
Frost Minds Matter, a middle school pilot program site in Fairfax, VA has ramped up their attitude of gratitude this season. First, Frost hosted a Gratitude Challenge. Students were given post-it notes to write down something they are grateful for. The post-its were then pasted onto a wall in the shape of a heart. Frost […]
Blake Minds Matter (BMM) from James Hubert Blake High School located in Silver Spring, Maryland, recently hosted a Wellness Week in collaboration with Blake Leaders Institute, a student organization that provides teens with leadership development opportunities and service projects. The purpose of the Wellness Week was to educate their school community about mental health and […]
Sometimes, promoting and making your OMM club accessible to all requires some tech savviness! Parkview Minds Matter from Lilburn, Georgia, created a Weebly page so that members and interested folks can easily see all relevant club information. In addition to listing meeting dates, the Parkview leaders also wanted to make sure anyone visiting the page […]
In light of our Men’s Minds Matter campaign, we would like to recognize a current club at an all boys school on the West Coast. Cubs Minds Matter, from Loyola High School of Los Angeles, applied to start a club this past August. Here is a Q&A with some of the Cubs Minds Matter student […]
Madison Minds Matter showed off their OMM pride at their Homecoming Parade at Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia. Student leaders reached out to their school’s SGA to sign up to walk in the parade, and then promoted the walk on their MMM Instagram and on their Schoology to reach as many folks as possible. […]
South River Minds Matter from Edgewater, MD, sprinkled their school with a little bit of positivity & motivation at a recent club meeting. Who doesn’t need a little inspiration during the school day? Club members and leaders created posters with various supportive, uplifting, and validating messages. Posters were hung up throughout the whole school so […]
A few weeks ago, Gahanna Minds Matter from Gahanna, Ohio, met up with their school’s fall sports teams. Club leaders attended various team practices to talk about their club’s work. In the image below, Gahanna student leaders are speaking with the Lincoln High School freshman, junior varsity, and varsity football teams to discuss why mental […]
School can be stressful. And sometimes, we all need a place to decompress. The students and staff at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia definitely understand that, so their Rams Minds Matter club created the Calm Cafe! The Calm Cafe is a place for students to go when they need a safe, calming space. It […]
It’s that time of year again! The school year is in full swing & many of our clubs have represented their Minds Matter club by hosting a booth at a club fair. A club fair is a great way to get the word out about your club and to recruit new members. We know that […]
Several OMM clubs from Montgomery County Maryland, Colonel Minds Matter from Magruder High School, Rockville Minds Matter from Rockville High School, and RM Minds Matter from Richard Montgomery High School, teamed up to host a mental health question and answer panel. Prior to this panel, the clubs sent out marketing on their social media to […]
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 […]
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+ […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]