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Active Minds National Conference |
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Thank you to the 350 students, staff and supporters from more than 95 schools who converged on the The George Washington University campus for Active Minds' 6th Annual National Mental Health on Campus Conference. They visited Capitol Hill, heard a moving talk from actress Heather Matarazzo and mapped strategies for improving campus mental health.
Congratulations to our 2008-2009 Active Minds Chapter Award Winners:
Chapter of the Year
Active Minds at Oregon State
Student Leader of the Year
Maryam Monsef (Active Minds at Trent University)
Advisor of the Year
Barry Schreier (Active Minds at UConn)
Innovative Programming Award
Active Minds at McDaniel College
Honorable Mention: Active Minds at Grinnell College
Uniting Voices Award
Active Minds at Our Lady of the Lake
Honorable Mention: Active Minds at Montclair State University
Honorable Mention: Active Minds at University of Memphis
Roadrunner Award
Active Minds at Muhlenberg College
Honorable Mention: Active Minds at College of St. Scholastica
Honorable Mention: Active Minds at James Madison University
Conference Sponsors
Silver
   
Bronze
Keynote Speakers
 Heather Matarazzo, known for her roles in box office hits Welcome to the Dollhouse, The Princess Diaries, and the final season of Roseanne, among others, will keynote the Active Minds Mental Health on Campus Conference on Friday, November 13. Heather is an actor who rose to fame playing an unpopular girl in the hit independent film Welcome to the Dollhouse. Like her character, Heather struggled with fitting in and emotional issues from a young age. She speaks candidly about her battle with depression and the importance of supporting peers, especially those in the LGBT community. We are thrilled that Heather will be sharing her story and experiences with our conference guests.
Joshua Wolf Shenk, author of award-wining Lincoln's Melancholy, will be a keynote speaker on Saturday morning November 14. Lincoln's Melancholy is about Abraham Lincoln's lifelong depression, how he managed it, and how it came to fuel his epic work. In the book, Joshua Wolf Shenk shows how the science and literature on depression offer insight into Lincoln's remarkable journey, and how Lincoln's story challenges and enriches our understanding of depression. Shenk will talk about Lincoln's experiences especially relevant in this year, Lincoln's bicentennial. Shenk will be available after his talk to sign and sell books.
Why attend?
This is what students have to say about their experience at the conference:
- "I definitely got a lot out of the conference and feel very fortunate that I was able to attend."
- "I got a lot of ideas for our upcoming semester. It refreshed and motivated me."
- "The energy was contagious! It was great to meet others and network."
- "I feel so inspired to continue my mission on campus. I found so many great ideas at the conference and I feel like the information that I learned will prepare me for an Active Minds leadership role next year. Also, I was able to bring back a lot of information that will increase the longevity of Active Minds on our campus."
- "It was wonderful for helping our group get new ideas and coalesce as a group. Being with so many people all advocating for the same thing was heartening!!!"
- "It was great to see how many other Active Minds chapters there are and we found new ways to increase participation in our chapter."
- "I felt that all of the speakers and panels were helpful and diverse. I also found that I was able to network with chapter members from around the country."
- "I got a great sense of the work of Active Minds and many ideas about how we can build our chapter and events to hold on campus."
- "I thought it was very well organized, good content, actually exceeded my expectations. I met many students who were eager to share ideas and discuss programming."
- "I went to the conference expecting that it would long lectures, something similar to a class, but it was nothing like that. I enjoyed the interaction with other chapters, and how the information was presented.The conference motivated me to start a chapter on my campus. I was glad by the accessibility of the staff and the networking to be able to talk to others about starting a chapter on their campus."
- "I gained leadership skills. I got a lot more out of it than I thought I would. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Since we are not a chapter yet I was very impressed with the how to become a chapter section, and the fundraising section was also particularly helpful considering we are not a club yet. "
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Programs/Events 
"Active Minds has been much more than just another club
for me, it has taught me that a small group of people can work together and
have a significant impact on the well-being of many others."
