Full-day classroom-based program engages 240 students in mental health advocacy
Washington, D.C. — Active Minds, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing youth and young adults to transform mental health norms, hosted its first Los Angeles Regional Summit last week at Central City Value High School, engaging approximately 240 ninth- and 10th-grade students in a full day of mental health advocacy programming.
The first Summit introduced students to the role of mental health advocates and equipped them with practical skills to support well-being in their schools and communities. Central City Value High School serves a predominantly Latino student population, and programming emphasizes culturally responsive conversations around identity, community and lived experience.
Due to limited shared space on campus, the Los Angeles Regional Summit was delivered through a classroom-based model, allowing students to participate in interactive sessions facilitated by Active Minds staff throughout the school day.
Programming included virtual sessions introducing mental health advocacy and youth leadership, followed by in-person breakout discussions focused on advocacy, social factors that influence mental health, and ways students can take action locally. The day concluded with a reflection and commitment activity, reinforcing that advocacy can be personal, achievable and student-led.
“This Los Angeles Summit showed what’s possible when we create space for youth and young adults to connect mental health to their own identities, communities and lived experiences,” said Tyrrell Jefferies, Senior Director of Youth Leadership at Active Minds. “By supporting students as advocates, we’re championing a new era of mental health that is youth-led, culturally responsive and rooted in real-world action.”
Active Minds reported strong engagement during discussion-based activities that connected mental health topics to students’ daily lives and school environments. The Summit also provided insights that will inform future Regional Summits, including increased interactivity and expanded opportunities for students to engage with Active Minds programming beyond the event.
High-resolution images of the LA Summit for editorial use are available here.
