support students' BIG ideas to change school culture around mental health
Last year, we piloted the Changemaker Awards to support clubs with BIG ideas to change school culture around mental health. Thanks to Shift, we awarded $500 to 10 clubs last school year to implement their ideas to address the rise of mental health concerns and suicide among high school students.
These campaigns reached 12,572 students across 10 schools and 100% of Changemaker Award recipients said they hoped OMM would continue to offer this opportunity to clubs. Can you help make these awards possible again?
By giving to the Changemaker Fund, your donation will go directly to the next cohort of recipients and equip teens with the resources they need to organize school-wide campaigns to shift the mental health landscape in their schools, communities, and beyond!
About the Changemaker Awards
With the extra funding, students were empowered to implement school-wide campaigns like ‘Better Bathrooms, Better Health’ at Eastern High School that improved the cleanliness of bathrooms and added positive messages, mental health tips, and help-seeking resources to a frequently used space. The students at Eastern said this campaign helped students feel cared for by each other and made their school feel safer.
Other schools like Harmony Science and Kramer created permanent spaces in the building dedicated to relaxing, unwinding, and recharging from the day. The spaces were supplied with materials to practice mindfulness and healthy coping skills, such as aroma therapy, coloring, and games.
“In all honesty, the Changemaker Award has been such a great help with allowing us to create our Wellness Space. This campaign has been in the process for some time now, and what we believed to be a dream far in reach has become a reality in weeks.” ~Harmony Science Academy El Paso
