Yellow Tulip Project

TO BUILD COMMUNITIES DESIGNED TO FOSTER MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND TO SUPPORT YOUTH MOVEMENTS AROUND HOPE.

OUR MESSAGE OF HOPE, COMMUNITY, AND STIGMA REDUCTION CONTINUED TO RESONATE TO MORE AND MORE YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT ALLIES, AS SEEN BY THE STEADY INCREASE OF YOUTH AMBASSADORS AND NEW COMMUNITIES JOINING OUR YOUTH-LED MOMENTUM IN 2022. WE ARE WELL AWARE OF THE STAGGERING NUMBERS OF YOUTH SUICIDES AND THE SURGING YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN OUR COUNTRY, AND CONTINUE TO BE FIERCELY COMMITTED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THIS IMPORTANT SPACE. WE NOW HAVE CLOSE TO 600 YOUTH AMBASSADORS ACTIVELY BRINGING YTP'S PROGRAMMING AND HOPE GARDENS TO THEIR SCHOOLS, WITH 67 NEW AMBASSADORS JOINING IN 2022. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)IN ADDITION, HOPE GARDENERS PLANTED 30,900 BULBS IN 2022 IN 203 NEW HOPE GARDENS. WE KNOW THAT TALKING ABOUT AND ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH AT EARLIER AGES IS SO IMPORTANT, AND IN 2022 WE RECEIVED FUNDING TO EXPAND OUR CREATIVE DAILY PRACTICE AND ART BASED NATURE PROGRAMMING TO 20 NEW ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. WE WERE PROUD TO PRODUCE THREE NEW IMPORTANT RESOURCES FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN 2022, INCLUDING:- MIDDLE SCHOOL ROADMAP: A KIT OUTLINING HOW TO BRING YTP TO YOUNGER STUDENTS.- 64 TIPS FOR SELF CARE: A CARE KIT BY YOUTH, FOR YOUTH - MENTAL HEALTH + COMMUNITY RESOURCES TOOLKIT: A KIT OF MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES.IN 2022 WE WENT THROUGH A RIGOROUS INTERVIEW PROCESS TO IDENTIFY YOUTH LEADERS TO SIT ON OUR FIRST YOUTH LEADERSHIP BOARD (YLB). THE YLB BOARD CONSISTS OF 13 HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE AGED STUDENT LEADERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY WHO MEET MONTHLY TO DRIVE OUR MISSION FORWARD. EACH YLB LEADER DIRECTS A COMMITTEE AND THEY WORK TOGETHER TO PLAN EVENTS AND PROGRAMS. WE KNOW THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES BASED ON THE RESULTS OF OUR 2022 POST-EVENT SURVEYS. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR SURVEYS INDICATED THAT:-96% OF INDIVIDUALS FELT MORE CONNECTED TO THEIR COMMUNITIES AFTER PARTICIPATING IN AN YTP EVENT;- 88% OF INDIVIDUALS FELT YTP EVENTS HELPED TO REDUCE THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS; AND- 88% OF INDIVIDUALS FELT MORE HOPEFUL AFTER PARTICIPATING IN A YTP EVENT.FINALLY, IN 2022, WE WERE SELECTED TO PRESENT AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES AND EVENTS INCLUDING: HOSTING THE ROUNDTABLE DIALOGUE "SMASH THE STIGMA: YOUTH VOICES ON MENTAL HEALTH IN THE ARCTIC" WITH THE ARCTIC COUNCIL; PRESENTED THE KEYNOTE SPEECH AT THE GFWC FALL CONFERENCE; AND PRESENTED AT THE MAINE YOUTH ACTION NETWORK FALL CONFERENCE AND HOSTED THE LIBRARY TALK SERIES "LET'S TALK ABOUT IT!" AT VARIOUS LIBRARY EVENTS NATIONWIDE.