On Wednesday, March 20, OMM Program Manager Mo Butler attended the Knights Minds Matter club meeting at Ballou High School in Anacostia to mark Women’s History Month. OMM team members regularly join club meetings to offer coaching and support. This one was so impactful, we wanted to share this highlight from Mo. It’s an inspiring […]
Our Minds Matter is excited to share our brand new LGBTQ+ Youth Minds Matter initiative: Under My Umbrella! This campaign aims to: Highlight the importance of community for mental health and celebrate the joy the LGBTQ+ community brings to the world! Provide support and education around health, safety, & well-being for LGBTQ+ youth. We hope […]
Hey Grad, Let us be the first to say congratulations on finishing up your high school career! We hope that you’re taking some time to celebrate and soak up all the good energy that can come with big accomplishments. However, we know that this time can come with lots of mixed emotions and for some […]
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 […]
My Life is Worth Living is the world’s first animated series about teen mental health and suicide prevention. The series includes five powerful stories told over twenty episodes. In each episode, relatable teen characters wrestle with challenges that are all too familiar for many viewers–including depression, bullying, abuse, and trauma–and discover strategies to cope when […]
Danny’s story consists of four episodes. To watch each episode, please click each thumbnail. Make sure you check out the accompanying discussion guide to continue the conversation beyond the videos! EPISODE 1: OVER AND DOUBT After a life-changing accident, sixteen-year-old Danny is struggling to take on new physical and mental challenges. His family is well-meaning […]
Kyle’s story consists of four episodes. To watch each episode, please click each thumbnail. Make sure you check out the accompanying discussion guide to continue the conversation beyond the videos! EPISODE 1: BOTTLED UP With the crowd roaring and the game on the line, 16-year-old soccer player Kyle is in a position to make the […]
Dante’s story consists of four episodes. To watch each episode, please click each thumbnail. Make sure you check out the accompanying discussion guide to continue the conversation beyond the videos! EPISODE 1: DANTE’S DILEMMA To his friends and father, Bruce, Dante is a popular high school football player on track for college and a “respectable” […]
Amie’s story consists of four episodes. To watch each episode, please click each thumbnail. Make sure you check out the accompanying discussion guide to continue the conversation beyond the videos! EPISODE 1: RAY OF HOPE Homework and extracurriculars fill 16-year-old Amie’s hours, and every new task helps her stay positive. When she accidentally damages her […]
Emily’s story consists of four episodes. To watch each episode, please click each thumbnail. Make sure you check out the accompanying discussion guide to continue the conversation beyond the videos! EPISODE 1: FIRST ESCAPE A painful secret has been haunting Emily for months. She’s managed to keep it from her mom, but now mom’s going […]
It’s that time of the year again folks, so dust off your backpacks and sharpen those pencils because the OMM Student Leader Summit is back and better than ever! in-person option Calling all student leaders in DC, Maryland and Virginia! Join us for our in-person Student Leader Summit in downtown DC. This training will […]
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 […]
Our Minds Matter is so excited to announce a brand new training brought to you by the Born This Way Foundation (BTW) and Jack.org — the Be There Certificate! We are also honored to share that we worked closely with the BTW team to bring you a collaborative activity guide as a follow-up to 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 […]
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and while awareness is great, we think we can all go a little further and take action. Which is pretty perfect because May 19th is Mental Health Action Day! So why not turn the whole month into mental health action? We recognize and celebrate the fact that you are […]
For those of us in the mental health movement, the term “trauma” is not a new one. However, some of us may not know that there is a type of trauma brought on by big events that can affect entire societies called “collective trauma,” and it causes a ripple effect that impacts us all uniquely. […]
Eating disorders are one of the most common mental disorders, affecting over 30 million Americans. They have the 2nd highest mortality rate of any mental illness and can affect anyone, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, ability, and socioeconomic status. There are many disparities regarding the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders, including the fact that […]
Join us on Sunday, January 30th at 1 pm ET over Zoom to build your leadership skills. This hour-long training will provide student leaders with the opportunity to learn a new critical thinking skill and to reason through problem-solving with other fellow leaders. Please follow these instructions to register: Create a Zoom account if you […]
Our Minds Matter is committed to uplifting communities that experience oppression and marginalization, and part of that commitment is amplifying culturally competent mental health resources. The Latin American and Hispanic community is not a monolith – instead, it is full of dozens of unique and beautiful cultures, each with their own histories and stories. About […]
August 15 is National Relaxation Day. In 1985, nine-year-old Sean Moeller came up with the idea! National Relaxation day promotes stress relief through relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga. Our lives often get so busy that we forget to take time for ourselves and kick back and relax. It is incredibly important to make time […]
On Thursday, August 19th 2021 online @ 2pm ET, we will be hosting our first Quarterly Leadership training of the 2021 – 2022 school year. This training will equip new leaders with skills and knowledge to organize their clubs. We will also be taking this time to recognize once again a “new normal” of starting […]
Heath and Omar are so close to the end of their 4,300 mile biking cross country. If you would like to join them to their destination in Bethany Beach, DE, details are below. Thursday, July 1st 9:00am – depart Trek Georgetown, 3411 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007 – please join us so that we […]
June 27 is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day. It’s important that we understand what PTSD is and how to support a loved one with PTSD. What is PTSD? PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after someone experiences a traumatic event. Some symptoms might include intrusive and distressing memories, nightmares, and […]
Our Minds Matter created the Ommy Awards to recognize outstanding leaders, movers, and shakers within the OMM club network. Our work towards a future where no teen dies by suicide is made possible by the efforts of leaders in this movement. Special thanks to our sponsors for making this recognition possible. We received 44 unique […]
This month, May 2021, marks the first-ever Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The AAPI community is comprised of many rich cultures, and each deserves to be respected and celebrated. However, this past year has been especially difficult for many AAPI folks as we have seen an increase in anti-Asian racism, violence, and discrimination. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Using grant support from The McLean Community Foundation, JAF supported McLean High School in putting on a Stress Less, Laugh More week during their spring semester! The activities that were put on are as follows: Monday, April 25: Students could check out Stress-O-Meter banner and pick up a “fortune” with “take a break ideas” on them during lunch […]
Thanks to a grant from The McLean Community Foundation, JAF helped provide materials and support for Longfellow MS’s 2016 Stress Less, Laugh More Week, helping students destress as SOL season and the end of the school year approaches! Every day featured a different morning funny on the news and music played between periods, as well as […]
This past spring, students at Hayfield Secondary School and Thomas Jefferson High School made videos to help promote mental health awareness during one of the most stressful parts of the school year! In their video, Hayfield students announce the various themes for each day of their 2016 Wellness Week, all meant to help students celebrate destressing! The video made for […]
This past April, JAF supported Oakton HS in putting on its very first Mental Health Awareness Week! Here is an article in the Oakton Outlook, the school’s student newspaper, detailing what happened on each day of the week. On Monday, speaker Pablo Campos visited the school and gave a presentation on his experiences with ADHD, depression, and substance use while in high […]
With a grant from The McLean Community Foundation to support Stress Less, Laugh More campaigns in McLean-area schools, JAF supported Franklin Sherman Elementary School in putting on a series of three mental health-centered weeks: Laughter Week in April Calm Week in May Service Week in June See below for a more in-depth look into each […]
A group of Langley High School students held a bake sale, during which $460 was raised for JAF! It’s not too late to donate–click here to do so!
This was our seventh year running in Josh’s memory, and with over 30 runners, we were able to raise over $25,000! It’s not too late to contribute! Click here if you would like to donate! Thank you to all who supported our cause! It is with all your help that we can continue promoting mental […]
Last year, Briar Woods High School in Loudoun County put on a successful Stress Less, Laugh More Week! All week, music played in the morning as well as during the 5-minute period between blocks; the students and staff loved the music. There also were hula hoop contests, Laugh More photo booths, and mini-games (for example, […]
The 2nd Annual Joshua Ball Beautifully Showcased JAF’s Growth & Impact The 2nd Annual Joshua Ball was a huge success – with tickets selling out and JAF raising over $60,000 – almost doubling its profit from last year’s event! Over 180 people came out on the unseasonably warm evening of November 5th, 2015 to Top […]
JAF’s Summer Benefit Concert this past Saturday was a huge success with approximately 90 people (of all ages!) attending and over $1,500 raised for JAF! The concert took place at the Iota Club & Cafe, a perfectly cozy venue for enjoying the great live music by Plexus–see the pictures below. Big thanks to all our supporters for coming […]
Along with yoga, JAF has also been working to introduce mindfulness exercises to teens. Mindfulness, which involves learning to tune into and accept one’s thoughts and feelings in the present moment, has been shown to have many potential benefits for students, and especially adolescents. Research has shown that mindfulness exercises can result in improved academic performance, better stress management, and […]
With end-of-the-year tests fast approaching, Longfellow Middle School put on a fun and active Stress Less, Laugh More Week! Every day had its own theme and unique activity to help the students prepare for the stress of school and tests in a healthy way: Monday – “Happy Chalk” Students had the opportunity to draw on the sidewalks outside […]
This year, Rocky Run Middle School hosted a successful Stress Less, Laugh More week for their students! Their daily agenda included a variety of stress-relieving efforts, like replacing their bells with a fun song or including inspiring quotes in the morning announcements; there were also activities everyday in the cafeteria so all students could get a […]
The 6th Annual Running to Remember Josh Fundraiser was a great success, despite the rain! We are so very close to reaching our goal of $30,000 and it’s not too late to donate! CLICK HERE if you would like to contribute! A BIG THANKS to everyone who donated and came out to support our runners! […]
The Teen-to-Teen Mental Health Summit was a GREAT success! Approximately 200 community members came out to hear six brave speakers share their stories of struggle and survival and later participated in a discussion with parent panelists and mental health professionals. See news coverage of the event here: NBC News4 video: “Fairfax Co. Teens Unite to […]
George Mason High School in Falls Church, VA had a successful Stress Less, Laugh More week. See below for activity agenda and pictures. Tuesday, 1/20 – Benefits of Laughter Activity: “What makes you laugh?” collaborative poster Handouts: Laugh more buttons & benefits of laughter postcards Wednesday, 1/21 – Coping with Stress Activity: “How do you relieve stress?” […]
One of JAF’s initiatives is to sponsor programs that will give teens the tools they can use to help themselves. One such tool is yoga, which has been shown to provide benefits such as relieving stress, decreasing feelings of anger, and helping to find optimism amidst negative emotions. Studies have shown that even small introductions of yoga into […]
JAF was pleased to co-sponsor the Rachel’s Challenge presentation for Lake Braddock High School students on December 10, 2014. Rachel Joy Scott was the first of thirteen people who lost their lives in the Columbine shooting on April 20, 1999. The presentation was a combination of video and speaker that challenged the students to create […]
“Thank you so much for the Stress Less, Laugh More materials! We had a wonderful West Potomac Pyramid Wellness Day on December 9, and we shared the buttons and cards with the other schools in the pyramid. School counselors here greeted students as they came in the front door. We had a banner in the […]
Maggie Bertram, a member of the Active Minds Speaker’s Bureau, shared her powerful story of struggling with anxiety and an eating disorder while in college, as she tried to portray the “perfect image” of herself to others. Yet on the inside, she felt lost and only until confronting her mental health disorders and seeking treatment, […]
The Joshua Ball was a great success! The Josh Anderson Foundation’s first formal fall fundraiser was held at Top of the Town in Arlington, VA on October 23rd, 2014. 150 JAF supporters gathered to celebrate the foundation’s accomplishments in mental health awareness education! We were lucky to have guest speakers Jack Saunders, a senior […]
Over 200 people – including 70 current high school students – attended the Teen-to-Teen Mental Health Summit held at the Alden Theatre in McLean, VA, co-sponsored by The Josh Anderson Foundation and The Safe Community Coalition. The summit provided a forum for students and parents to discuss mental health following the two suicides at Langley High […]
This was the first year that Poe Middle School in Annandale, VA ran a Stress Less, Laugh More Week and it was a huge success. JAF provided Laugh More buttons and Benefits of Laughter postcards. Daily Themes & Activities: Monday: During lunch: Graffiti Wall in cafeteria Stress Less, Laugh More and Positive Message posters on walls: students […]
The third annual Stress Less, Laugh More week at McLean High School was a resounding success! JAF supported the campaign by providing Laugh More buttons and stickers, Get Help educational postcards, spray paint, candy and free yoga. Daily themes and activities: click here for agenda Monday: Pay It Forward Banner with notes Spray paint the rock Tuesday: […]
The first annual Wellness Week at Cedar Lane School in Vienna, VA was a success with staff and kids! JAF supported the program by providing Laugh More buttons, 1-in-4 buttons, Benefits of Laughter postcards, Get Help postcards and Laugh More stickers. Daily themes and activities: Laugh More Monday: What Makes You Laugh? Share jokes; […]
The Josh Anderson Foundation received CrisisLink’s 2014 Impact Award, which recognizes individuals or organizations making an impact in our region in the area of suicide education and prevention. The award was presented during CrisisLink’s LinkUp and Live Gala and Auction on April 10, 2014 at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City. Watch the footage of Lauren […]
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 […]
