Active Minds News

July 26, 2026 — Walking across UCLA’s commencement stage, I carried more than a degree. I carried proof that I was still here. My Bachelor’s degree reflected more than lectures attended, exams taken, and sleepless nights.

July 26, 2026 — When life gets busy, self-care is often the first thing to disappear. I've definitely been there. Between classes, work, internships, and trying to keep up with everyday responsibilities, it can feel like there isn't enough time for yourself.

July 20, 2026 — Young leaders from across the country urged Congress to strengthen mental health support for youth and young adults through federal policy. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Active Minds, the nation's leading nonprofit mobilizing youth and young adults to change the culture around mental health so that it is valued and prioritized in society, marked a historic milestone on Thursday, July 16th, as hundreds of youth and young adult mental health advocates from across the country gathered on Capitol Hill for the inaugural Active Minds Hill Day + Mental Health Conference. Representing communities nationwide, advocates met with congressional offices to share their lived experiences and urge lawmakers to advance policies that strengthen mental health support for youth and young adults. Throughout the day, participants demonstrated the power of youth leadership by bringing firsthand perspectives into conversations that shape the future of mental health policy in America. Throughout Hill Day, advocates called on lawmakers to make mental health support more accessible by increasing the visibility of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on student identification cards and strengthening the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Program to expand student-led mental health outreach and early intervention efforts on college campuses.

July 14, 2026 — It’s Conference—our favorite time of the year at Active Minds! Youth and young adults from across the country come together to share ideas, connect around programming, and learn from one another. This year there’s a twist: we are taking our advocacy to Capitol Hill with more than 200 youth and young adults to support the Campus Lifeline Act. This is a bipartisan bill aiming to strengthen mental health support for youth and young adults, led by youth and young adults. The bipartisan bill advances two core priorities: Expanding access to mental health crisis resources by including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on newly-issued student ID cards. Increasing federal investment in youth-informed mental health strategies on college campuses. Youth and young adults are facing unprecedented mental health challenges. Action is a necessity, and the Campus Lifeline Act gives young people a seat at the table when it comes to leading mental health solutions. This year's conference is dedicated to policy mobilization and community building across mental health programming – from Active Minds’ very own Student Advisory Committee to brand activations with ENOUGH and social media challenges built to elevate advocacy efforts by taking our boots-on-the-ground mobilization into the digital space.  After a full day of advocating on the Hill with peers and being in conversation directly with legislators, our advocates are headed to our social hour, dinner, and evening programming. Social hour kicks off with swag for all registrants and stations dedicated to emphasizing the mobilization efforts of youth and young adults.  Some of the offerings will be:  Resource Table: Stock up on A.S.K. program postcards, Active Minds cards, stickers, and more programmatic information.  Cause + Career Headshots: Get a professional headshot done on site at the conference to elevate your LinkedIn profile. Send Silence Packing Share Your Story Booth: SSP has been reimagined! Come and learn about the exhibit and take the opportunity to share your own story.  Photo Booth: Take photos and mini videos at our designated station to be used in future advocacy campaigns and posted to your personal channels.  Student Advisory Committee Reflection and Connection Wall: Write, draw, and print photos to be a part of this collaborative installation dedicated to amplifying mental health stories and the advocacy they inspire.   Our evening program follows with an array of experiences. We begin with a live recording of the She Persisted Podcast with Sadie Sutton and special guest Gen Z mental health advocate Hailey Hardcastle. Musical performances from D.C. native Be Steadwell highlights the evening alongside our panel, Built for This: The Advocacy Pipeline from School Passion to National Impact. Featured speakers include:  Moderator Brandon Bond: Director of People & Organizational Well-Being at Garrett’s Space, a young adult suicide prevention nonprofit. With a background in public health and social work, he focuses on multicultural wellness, nonclinical therapeutic support, and public mental health advocacy. With the Emerging Scholars Fellowship he created an integrative wellness pop-up barbershop, serving on the Active Minds x MTV Entertainment Youth Advisory Board that launched the A.S.K. Acknowledge, Support, Keep-in-Touch campaign. His leadership has expanded nationally as an inaugural Youth Advocate in Mental Health America’s Youth Policy Accelerator and locally through his appointment as one of the youngest Human Rights Commissioners in Ann Arbor’s history. Panelist Bria Murph: As the reigning Miss Celina in the Miss America Opportunity, Bria is a servant in her community through her community service initiative. “Do More, Be More” to empower youth to use their adversity to aim higher than the limitations of society. Passionate about mental health advocacy, her podcast "Chai with Bria" is dedicated to featuring stories of people overcoming adversity. As a member of the Active Minds Advocacy Institute, Bria recently developed “Project Zen UH” to promote social connectedness at her university by revamping older spaces into relaxing environments for students on her culturally diverse campus.  Panelist Rohan Sajita: He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Let's Learn Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has distributed over 75,000 books and 5,000 mental-health kits to more than 13,000 underserved students across Texas. As a member of the Mental Health Advocacy Academy he developed a strategic advocacy plan centered on scaling the Vibrant Voices Project, a program he founded that uses mental health monologue-writing workshops to support youth in juvenile detention. Rohan has led the expansion of Vibrant Voices to five Texas counties and training for youth facilitators to lead peer-to-peer delivery. Panelist Jodi Johnson: His journey with Active Minds began in January 2024 as a member of the Emerging Scholars Fellowship. Through this experience, he developed “Brother, You’re Not Alone,” a project addressing the gap in mental health treatment among Black, African, and Caribbean American men, with a focus on the need for increased preventative support. After completing the fellowship, Jodi merged his passion for athletics with advocacy by joining Team Active Minds, fundraising through distance running. To date, he has raised over $3,500. While completing the Philadelphia Marathon twice and traveling internationally to run the Berlin Marathon, Jodi remains committed to advancing mental health awareness and support through both community-building and endurance athletics. Panelist Varsha Penumalee: Through her writing, public speaking, and leadership, Varsha works to de-stigmatize mental health and empower young people to use their voices to drive systemic change. She serves on the Active Minds Student Advisory Committee, where she helps shape national initiatives, leads Chapter Chats on topics like policy and engagement, and contributes to large-scale advocacy efforts including Hill Day programming. In parallel, Varsha is the President of NAMI Virginia NextGen and Secretary of Youth MOVE National, where she advances youth-driven mental health policy, outreach, and peer support initiatives on the state and national levels. Her advocacy is deeply informed by her lived experiences and her commitment to addressing health inequities, particularly for marginalized communities.

July 13, 2026 — A year ago, if you had told me I would be preparing to meet with policymakers and advocate for the Campus Lifeline Act on Capitol Hill, I would never have believed you. As Active Minds’ first Hill Day approaches, I’ve found myself reflecting on the journey that brought me here. What started as an interest in mental health has grown into a passion and purpose through countless conversations, experiences, and connections. While I’ve been checking items off my packing list and reviewing my advocacy pitch, most of my preparation has been spent thinking about the people and stories that have made this work so meaningful. This year, I’m especially excited for Hill Day. For many attendees (including myself), speaking with policymakers and sharing their lived experiences can feel intimidating. As I prepare, though, I’ve been reminding myself that the most powerful thing I can bring into those conversations isn’t a perfectly memorized script; it’s the experiences and stories that have shaped my passion for mental health advocacy. One of my favorite parts of Active Minds is the opportunity to learn from others. Every year, I meet students and young adults from different backgrounds who are all working toward the same goal: creating communities where people feel comfortable talking about mental health and seeking support when they need it. I always leave inspired by their creativity, compassion, and commitment to making change. If you’re attending this year, my biggest piece of advice is to come with an open mind. Introduce yourself to someone new! Share your experiences when you’re comfortable, and take time to listen to others. Some of the most meaningful moments won’t happen during a keynote or panel. They will happen in conversations with your peers and fellow advocates. As the conference approaches, I’m feeling equal parts excited, grateful, and inspired. I’m looking forward to learning, connecting, and advocating alongside so many passionate young people. And because no conference blog would be complete without a packing list, here are a few Hill Day essentials I’ll be bringing with me: Business casual/business professional outfit Comfortable shoes Fully charged phone A notebook and pen Reusable water bottle Bag/tote Snacks Personal medications Portable charger Advocacy pitch and talking points See you in D.C.!

July 7, 2026 — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Active Minds, the nation’s leading nonprofit mobilizing youth and young adults to change the culture around mental health so that it is prioritized in society, today announced a $20 million unrestricted gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott — the largest gift in the organization’s history. The gift follows Scott’s previous $4 million gift to Active Minds in 2021, reinforcing the organization’s position as a national leader in youth mental health and its mission to create a society that forever values and prioritizes mental health. Since receiving the gift, Active Minds has been working alongside its Board, youth and young adult leaders, and school partners to identify strategic investments that will strengthen the organization's long-term impact. Through this collaborative process, Active Minds has developed a multi-year strategy focused on scaling the national infrastructure that builds community, mobilizes youth leadership, funds youth-led solutions, and translates youth voices into system change. Active Minds plans to expand investments in youth-led solutions through initiatives such as the Active Minds Mental Health Advocacy Academy for high school youth and Active Minds Mental Health Advocacy Institute for college students, increasing the number of youth and young adults who can gain the leadership, advocacy, and organizing skills needed to drive meaningful mental health change in their schools, campuses, and communities. More broadly, the funding will help expand access to Active Minds' national programs, ensuring more youth and young adults have opportunities to develop mental health literacy, strengthen peer networks, use their voices to influence change, and help build communities where mental health is valued and prioritized. While this unrestricted gift is transformational for the organization, the investment reinforces the critical need for sustained and immediate support for youth mental health. “This is a defining moment for Active Minds and for youth mental health in this country,” said Alison Malmon, Founder & Executive Director at Active Minds. “We are profoundly grateful to MacKenzie Scott for her trust in our mission and our community. This gift allows us to make bold, long-envisioned investments in youth leadership and youth-led solutions to champion a new era of mental health.” For more than two decades, Active Minds has worked to shift the culture surrounding mental health through youth and young adult leadership, peer-based connection, education, and advocacy. The organization was founded by Alison Malmon during her junior year at the University of Pennsylvania after the suicide of her older brother and only sibling, Brian. Since launching its first college chapter in 2001, Active Minds has grown into a nationwide movement reaching more than 4.5 million youth and young adults through peer-led programs, education, advocacy, and community engagement initiatives. At a time when schools, campuses, and communities are urgently seeking scalable solutions to support youth mental health, Active Minds continues to help define the national model for proven youth-led mental health programming, youth advocacy, and community-based culture change. This investment accelerates the organization’s ability to expand its proven programs, strengthen youth leadership development, deepen community engagement, and continue building a future where mental health is forever valued and prioritized.

June 22, 2026 — There was a time when being perceived as queer could be dangerous, often resulting in a night spent in jail or being brutalized with very little to no access to recourse. State sodomy laws, federal hiring bans, and immigration restrictions were once considered the default when it came to recognizing LGBTQ+ people. Stonewall Inn was a place of refuge as much as a place of resistance. When existing is illegal and safe places are scarce, being who you are is a radical act. Homosexuality was a criminal offense in 1969, and laws attempting to prohibit queer spaces from operating littered municipal, state, and federal policy. Police raids were commonplace at LGBTQ+ spaces across the country. It was June 28, 1969 a little after 1am that Stonewall was raided by NYPD officers in plain clothes. Interrogations ensued, but a routine raid on a queer space was not what anyone found that night. Transgender and gender non-conforming patrons were targeted and ordered to be detained by Inspector Seymour Pine. This wasn’t surprising – what was different was that this time, after countless raids, people not only resisted, they rebelled. Instead of lining up to be detained, arrested, or brutalized in the midst of a raid, the frustration of patrons and onlookers broke. Yelling began, then object throwing, and by the following afternoon, the city was abuzz with what had happened in the early morning. By the next week, so was the country. The following year, The first Christopher Street Liberation Day March, what we now recognize as the first Pride Parade, took place to commemorate the rebellion at Stonewall. This attracted thousands of participants, shocking organizers. This march solidified Stonewall's place in the LGBTQ civil rights movement and history. In the decades that followed Stonewall, it has been mythologized. Accounts vary from participants and news coverage, while more than typical when it came to LGBTQ+ stories at the time, it wasn’t exhaustive. What we know came undoubtedly from Stonewall is a sense of unity in the queer community. The first gay activist organization, The Gay Liberation Front (GLF), was founded, which then led to the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), GLAAD, and more. Pride was born from the celebration and community that lives at the center of protesting. The Month of June signifies a celebration of LGBTQ+ people, history, and life. It demands visibility for people who were criminalized for existing and reminds all of us that living authentically is a radical act. We are lucky enough to benefit from the advocacy of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Stormé DeLarverie, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Dick Leitsch, Craig Rodwell, Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt, Martin Boyce, Raymond Castro, and so many more who made Pride possible. Pride is rooted in connection. To find community, check out this non-exhaustive list of resources: It Gets Better Center for Black Equity Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement (Familia:TQLM) The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance Trans Lifeline LGBT National Help Center

June 22, 2026 — A little over a year and a half ago, I performed in drag for the first time. I remember the way time seemed to slow down as I stepped through the curtain into the bar, the rush of the spotlight glowing on my face, and the feeling that this was something I was truly meant to be doing. But, just as importantly, I remember the outpouring of support I felt from the community around me after the performance was over; people coming up to talk to me, older performers offering me kind words and advice. This, to me, is the most important thing about drag. Don’t get me wrong, I love the makeup, the glamorous costumes, the spotlights, the chance to transform into another version of myself for a night–but more than anything, I love the community that comes with it. When I did that first drag number, I had been going to local shows around my city for over a year. The first time I went to a drag show was also my first time in a gay bar, and I vividly remember the feeling of stepping into a space surrounded almost exclusively by other queer people and immediately feeling so incredibly at home. That feeling has only grown stronger. Drag is, and has always been, a space for queer people to find community and family. Experienced drag performers will often “adopt” newer performers and become drag parents, a tradition with roots in the ballroom scene; mentor figures who are there to teach you which rhinestones to use and how to style a wig properly, but also very often become extremely close, chosen family. Not only do I have a drag mom, but several drag aunts, a self-proclaimed drag godmother (who happens to be the very queen I reached out to for that first open-stage), and, since my partner is also a performer, a huge collection of drag in-laws. My partner and I often joke that the patio at the club feels like a family reunion–one of us might get lectured for taking tips badly or having our wigs glued down wrong, but we’re surrounded by people we consider to be close family, people who are often older than us who we can look up to and learn from. It's a space full of love. My local drag scene has quickly become a space where I feel safe, cared for, and uplifted, where I can be the fullest version of myself, whether I’m on or offstage. This type of chosen family can be incredibly important for the mental health of queer people, especially those who don’t have support from the families they grew up in, and is, to me, one of the most beautiful things about the queer community. Finding people who you can see yourself in, who share your experience, can be life-changing. When you surround yourself with people who can truly see and understand you, you feel less alone. When everyone around you is the weird gay one, you don’t feel like the odd one out anymore. You feel like a part of something. I urge anyone who feels like they need closer queer relationships in their lives to find the community spaces around them. Pride events are amazing, but there are so many welcoming queer spaces that exist year-round. Look for your local gay bars or sober queer spaces like coffee shops and art collectives. Look at social media or flyers around town for queer events that continue past June, maybe for a specific identity or a group that you’re a part of. Find your local drag shows and show venues–hey, maybe even pick up a wig yourself. It might change your life for the better. Get Involved Ever thought about how your mental health journey could be the blueprint someone else needs? Tell your story on our blog and show the world what mental health mobilization looks like today. Find out how to submit your story on our website.

June 16, 2026 — Active Minds, backed by $5 million from Google.org, is expanding its youth-led mental health program to equip 100,000 students across 154 high schools.

June 8, 2026 — The first gift we’re ever given is a word — our name. When life gets in the way of words it’s difficult to process emotions in relation to the environment. I would argue words are the most basic structure of communication, even more than the alphabet since we learn the alphabet after our first words and letters/characters across languages don’t necessitate a definition or feeling. Words are so necessary to connection that there are countless ways to communicate them both textually, verbally, and physically. New words are coined by culture to bridge gaps, fill a niche, and document society. From anthropocene to google to touch grass language is preeminent in the identification of people and time. With broadness and dependency of connection on words it makes sense that the practice of journaling becomes a tool for mental health management. There is no required application to follow in the pursuit of journaling. From pen and paper to voice notes, journaling in its integrity is meant to be an outlet for all the thoughts, feelings, perspectives, etc. that cannot be captured until put into words. Whether a free write or prompt inspired, the practice of putting words to life is as old as humanity. Music without lyrics has written rhythmic cues like aria, allegro, ritardando, dolce. Fine art is paired with artist statements both personally and relationally oriented. We think, dream, feel in words – it's when words fail that anxieties spike. Journaling is said to strengthen problem solving skills, emotional resilience, self-compassion, and self-regulation whilst also identifying patterns in thoughts, moods or behaviors. Doctors and mental health professionals recommend journaling because of its low cost high reward model, with institutions like NAMI encouraging and formatting suggested prompts for reflection. Physiological wellbeing has always in some way been associated with stress. In 1997 James W. Pennebaker developed the Emotional Disclosure Theory, which inspired more formal scientific recognition for the benefits of journaling. It postulates that the suppression of emotions requires significant physical efforts which weakens the immune system and increases the risk of illness. It is through writing about emotionally charged, traumatic events that they can be organized and mental clarity can be improved. In 2022 the National Library of Medicine published a study that found “a journaling intervention resulted in a greater reduction in scores on patient health measures." While there is still very limited scientific data measuring the effects of journaling, it is a rational assumption that processing emotion, exercising mindfulness, and self-reflection are all conducive practices facilitated through journaling. This elicits the question: if we can feasibly infer the benefits of journaling why have we not empirically tested it more? Data driven analysis informs how we can better care for ourselves and gives mental health providers, researchers, and organizations the information they need to best pursue equitable action and recommendation. Journaling Prompts: Body Check In: Where are you physically feeling your emotions? What is the sensation? 3 - 2 - 1 Method: What are 3 things you noticed, 2 things you enjoyed, and 1 thing to focus on for tomorrow? High/Low: What was your high and what was your low of the day? How did each event inform the rest of your day thereafter? Control Inventory: What today has been within your control and what has been without? Fact vs Fiction: What is the anxiety informed worst-case scenario and what is the realistic outcome? Bonus: Check in after the event and log what happened, how did it compare to your initial thoughts?

June 8, 2026 — As an autistic girl growing up, I didn't care what others thought of me, even if I had no friends. So, I didn't hesitate to stand up and fight for another girl who was being bullied by our classmates. But the bullying escalated for almost two years, becoming increasingly vicious and eventually directed at me. They called me the "Shihori Virus" and treated me like a piece of garbage. Even though I had a strong mind, I was gradually drained, and at one point, I began to consider taking my own life. One day, I wrote down the names of the bullies and exactly what they did to me in a notebook, seeking revenge. But after simulating that worst-case scenario in my head, I realized that dying wouldn't be the revenge I had imagined. They would just forget about me and live happily without me. So, I decided not to die. Instead, I decided to become a singer. I thought that would be the ultimate payback. What if the girl they treated like a dirty virus became a star? What if they heard her music and her voice on TV or the radio, and were accidentally saved by her message? I knew that would be the most humiliating thing for those heartless kids. I was also really fortunate that I was going to an exclusive cram schools after elementary school, which meant I wouldn’t have to see my bullies again. I started to make friends who were emotionally and intellectually more mature. I was so excited to see my new friends. Having a new community outside of the local, tiny community where I was born expanded my perspective a lot and gave me a safe place. At that point, I realized that my school was not the only world I had to live in. As my world expanded, I realized that I didn't need to stay in that tiny, limited community forever. There are people out there who will accept exactly who you are; you can explore anywhere to find them. And who knows? They might be looking for you, too! I stopped living for my bullies, and I started living for myself. Back then, I could only see darkness in my future, but I still wrote a letter to my future self: "Have you made your dream come true?" I will never forget looking up at the smoky blue sky from my window, throwing my desperate wishes into the universe. Yes, I did, girl. I became a professional singer-songwriter. My voice has been on TV and radio, and my songs have hit the top of the Japanese charts many times. Those kids have probably heard my music without even realizing it. I remind myself, all of this happened because you chose to live, girl. You saved my life. You proved them wrong, and you proved that there was never anything wrong with you. You are my savior, and I can't thank you enough for making that incredibly brave decision. After walking many rocky roads to reach my dreams, I am releasing my new single, "When I Decided Not To Die," on June 5th. I forgave them long ago when I graduated from elementary school. I still have scars in my heart, but they are my scars of honor. They used to hurt deeply, but they nurtured the core message of my life: "LOVE WHO YOU ARE." Today, I even thank those hardships for guiding me onto this path—to empower people through my music.

May 27, 2026 — Leadership begins with youth and young adults. This is a foundational truth for Active Minds – our organization runs on the advocacy built by youth and young adults. Whether through chapters, run/walk clubs, webinars, the institute, and more. To kick off Mental Health Awareness Month, five young leaders attended Capitol Hill championing the necessity of federally backed mental health support for youth and young adults led by youth and young adults to legislators. On May 5, Ayaan Moledina, Amy Senkerik, Naomi Hines, Michael Landu, and Carson Domey sat on a panel together in the Rayburn Building sharing their experiences in advocacy to House of Representative staffers and legislators. They spoke out in support of the Campus Lifeline Act, an Active Minds-authored bill dedicated to strengthening mental health support on college campuses across America through the expansion of mental health crisis resources by including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on newly-issued student ID cards alongside increased federal investment in youth-informed mental health strategies. Panelists 17-year old Ayaan Moledina running for school board in his home county of Rock Round in Texas and director of SEAT, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, shared his lived experiences with mental health as he passionately spoke to the expansion of suicide prevention efforts. “You can’t make effective mental health policy for young people without young people… Students are the ones closest to the problem,” Moledina said during the panel as he shared his story of being diagnosed with depression at age 10 and his trajectory into organizing grassroots efforts dedicated to education and mental health competency. Carson Domey, a Massachusetts native, said that his medical challenges “prepared him for the real chapter of [his] advocacy in mental health.” Since 12 he has advocated for the accessibility of telehealth care and found his passion for mental health advocacy after the loss of a friend to suicide in 2018. This led to his efforts in redefining physical education standards to include mental health and spreading awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. As CEO and founder of the Acts of Kindness Project, Naomi Hines seeks to uplift underserved communities. The soon to be graduate of Bowie State University is a certified mental health first aid provider with the ambition of becoming a pediatric speech language pathologist. “Why suffer alone when you have these resources around you? But we need to figure out a way to connect students to that and make students feel more comfortable even utilizing a big resource like that,” Hines said about the need for resource expansion and the necessity of destigmatizing mental health. Miachael Landu is a devoted advocate to mental health resource accessibility and passionate about destigmatizing the use of psychiatric prescriptions to be treated with the same acceptance as medications for high blood pressure. His advocacy stems from his personal journey with mental health and diagnosis with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). “We all have the potential to inspire each other, I am really inspired by 988,” said Landu. “988 would have been a really helpful resource for me back when I didn’t know it existed.” Amy Senkerik is inspired by the loss of her best friend who died by suicide to ensure no student goes without access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. “When we make help easier to find we give people a better chance…Putting 988 on student IDs isn't a complicated solution.” She is an undergraduate student at Arizona State University, the largest public university in the country, where she successfully advocated for the addition of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to be included on digital student IDs. “They don’t have to google anything, they don’t have to remember where to look, the option is right in front of them. Clear, immediate, and accessible,” she said in reference to the importance of accessibility to the lifeline in a time of crisis. Campus Lifeline Act Get involved now by supporting the Campus Lifeline Act! Reach out to your representative to show your support, it takes less than 3 minutes to click the link and urge your member of Congress to support this bipartisan bill that aims to expand access to campus mental health resources, and increase visibility of the 988 Lifeline among young adults. Youth and young adults deserve a seat at the table when it comes to policymaking because no one knows better what young people need than themselves. Policy should reflect who it is created for. These panelists are an exemplary model of the necessity of youth and young adult perspectives when it comes to making policy for youth and young adults.