CSL Students Win Major National Award for Groundbreaking Initiative to Destigmatize Mental Health
Five Students from Foundation Academy Collegiate Win Coveted Youth Leadership for Service-Learning Excellence Award
On April 15, 2021, a group of five of our high school students was honored by the National Youth Leadership Council with the Youth Leadership for Service-Learning Excellence Award for their first-of-its-kind community initiative to destigmatize mental health and raise awareness of resources.
M.I.N.D., “Mental Illness Needs to be Destigmatized,” was created by Tracy Barrientos, Joscelynn Bernal, Nina Brown, Nomy Yanes-Castro, and Fabienne Traversiere – all juniors at Foundation Academy Collegiate. The group, which submitted a video for the award, was the sole winner in the category nationwide.
M.I.N.D. members began conducting research into mental health as part of a school service project to rectify the lack of attention being paid to the subject within the wider community. After attending Mental Health First Aid courses, the students hosted two virtual resource fairs for 20 participants to raise awareness and encourage people to express their emotions.
“We’re honored and feel very blessed to receive this award,” said Yanes-Castro, one of the students behind M.I.N.D. “Creating M.I.N.D. is an experience I will always remember because of the impact it has had on our community. We wanted to shed light on the issue of mental health so that people in our community aren’t struggling in the dark. This recognition is a testament to the importance of our mission, and we’re excited to continue helping more of our peers share their emotions and start an open conversation about mental health.”
“We could not be prouder of our students involved in M.I.N.D., not just for this important recognition but also for the critical work they are doing to better their community,” said Colleen DiDonato, an English & Civic Service Learning Teacher at Foundation Academies. “They embody the very best of our school and our commitment to the communities we serve. We’re thrilled that their work around such an important topic will positively impact the lives of students and families across Trenton and are excited to see what they do next.”
Foundation Academies was awarded $1,000 for its youth service program as part of the honor. Check out the clip of the award ceremony, above, or click here.
This spring, M.I.N.D. will run a Mental Health Awareness Week where students will partake in discussions and activities to understand their own mental health and how to promote it.
Congratulations, scholars, on this award! We are so proud of the great work you’re doing!
Our M.I.N.D. scholars also won regional recognition including news coverage from two prominent local channels.
Read the coverage in the NJ Education Report here.
Watch the news summary videos (links open in a new browser window):
Michelle Lawlor, Marketing and Communications Associate, spearheads Foundation Academies’ marketing and communication efforts. Born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, Michelle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism/Multimedia Communications from Rider University.