Active Minds

Chapter, Student, Advisor and Alumni awards

Active Minds recognizes the tremendous efforts and dedication of our student leaders, advisors, alumni and campus chapters at our Annual Mental Health on Campus Conference. The Active Minds staff, board and advisory committees are indebted to you for advancing the work of Active Minds at schools across the country.  These awards are one small way we can thank you for dedecation, ingenuity and advocacy.

Please nominate yourself, your chapter, your leaders and/or your advisor for any of the conference awards so Active Minds, Inc. can celebrate everything you do to change the conversation about mental health.

2011-2012 Award Nomination Guidelines

• Nominations must be submitted online by midnight on Monday, October 22, 2012
• Nominations must be for work done during the 2011-2012 academic year
• Self-nominations are encouraged
• Multiple nominations for different individuals and/or awards are allowed
• Completion of a nomination form does not guarantee an award
• Winners will be announced at the Active Minds National Mental Health on Campus Conference on November 9th and 10th in Orlando, FL
• To win an award, nominees or their chapters must be present at the conference

Chapter Awards

Chapter of the Year

This award recognizes a five-star chapter that sets itself apart by being an invaluable asset to its campus.  The Active Minds Chapter of the Year typically has an effective executive board and passionate chapter members, hosts innovative events that reach a large portion of their school, and makes great strides in changing the conversation about mental health on their campus. This award is open to all Active Minds chapters who are in good standing with the national organization.

Chapter of the Year Nomination Form

2011-2012 Winner: Active Minds at the University of Dayton.  In the past four years, Active Minds at UDayton has exemplified what it means to be a model chapter--each year expanding their programming and their reach.  Between hosting their annual M-Fest concert, volunteering at two community organizations, and receiving the school’s Visionary Leadership Award, Active Minds at UDayton has spent the last year solidifying their legacy on campus.  With the implementation of an “Institutional Change Chair,” the chapter shifted its focus to creating lasting change on campus.  Thanks to the chapter’s work last year, over 10,000 UDayton students now have vital crisis information on the back of their student ID cards.  

Chapter Innovation

Active Minds will recognize a chapter that has demonstrated particular creativity and innovation in programming. This award is open to all registered Active Minds chapters in good standing. Please visit www.activeminds.org/programshare and fill out a Program Share Form to electronically submit the creative program/event you want us to consider for this award.

Chapter Innovation Nomination Form

2011-2012 Winner: Active minds at Riverside City College.  This year’s Innovative Programming Award is presented to Active Minds at Riverside City College for their Mental Health Awareness Day.  This program combined mental health awareness, Active Minds chapter recognition, and fundraising for a day-long event featuring free food, tabling, speakers sharing mental health stories, music, and a final raffle.  Tickets for the raffle were sold all day and were the primary source of funds raised.   The event drew several vendors including a Credit Union, LA Fitness and DSPS, and established the Active Minds named on RCC’s campus.   

Road-Runner

Active Minds will recognize a chapter that was founded within the past year and is off to a fast start when it comes to programming, general body meetings and awareness efforts on campus. This award is open to newly registered Active Minds chapters in good standing.

Road-Runner Nomination Form

2011-2012 Winner: Active Minds at SUNY Old Westbury.  Active Minds at SUNY Old Westbury has hosted a wide range of programming within their first year, including Wellness Wish, Operation Beautiful and Love My Life.  The chapter also hosted a number of widely-attended stress relief activities for students and informational panels about a wide range of mental health topics.  Through their activities and events, Active Minds at SUNY Old Westbury has started the conversation about mental health on their campus and has been recognized by their University as the “best new club with the most visionary programming on campus.”  

Uniting Voices

Active Minds will recognize a chapter that has succeeded in building diverse coalitions of individuals, organizations, and other partners on campus in order to break barriers and build understanding of Active Minds and our mission across the board. Chapters that have brought an array of groups and identities together in their program planning and educational initiatives, including different levels of the administration and faculty, to reach diverse audiences (athletes, LGBTQ students, students of color, fraternities and sororities, etc.) should apply for this award. This award is open to all registered Active Minds chapters in good standing.

Uniting Voices Nomination Form

2011-2012 Winner: Active Minds at UCLA.  Active Minds at UCLA has brought a significant number of voices into the conversation about mental health on their campus, including the Student Wellness Commission, the LGBTQ Center, Student Life, and, notably, UCLA Athletics.  As a result of their collaborative efforts, the chapter has a diverse body of leaders and members, which in turn opens more doors to further involve other groups on campus.  Due to all of their hard work, Active Minds at UCLA is a well-known and respected name on campus.  

Student Leader Awards

Katherine P. Dahl Student Leader of the Year

This award is given to a student who has made significant contributions of personal time and talent to the Active Minds cause at his or her school. The Katharine P. Dahl Student of the Year recipient has led by example, set a standard of excellence, displayed leadership, facilitated change in the campus climate surrounding mental health, built collaborations, involved others in advocacy efforts, and has built trust with members of his or her campus community as a person dedicated to changing the conversation about mental health on his or her campus.

Student Leader of the Year Nomination Form

2011-2012 Winner: Ryan Barnett.  This award is presented to a student leader who has been involved in mental health advocacy throughout his undergraduate and graduate years, vigorously working to reduce stigma, raise awareness and make change on campus and in the larger community.  Ryan Barnett, Treasurer of Active Minds at Florida Institute of Technology, has been “fighting the good fight,” as he likes to say, for a long time.  For over three years, Ryan has put all of his energy into mental health awareness with his chapter.  He implemented the “Know Somebody Campaign,” which put Active Minds and Counseling Center information on refrigerator magnets in every dorm, and even inspired his younger sister, Alexa, to join and now lead the Active Minds chapter here at the University of Central Florida.  

Advisor Awards

Robert Garrett Advisor of the Year

This award is given to the advisor of an Active Minds chapter who provides clarity, support, and meticulous counsel to their chapter in a respectful and unassuming manner. The Robert Garrett Advisor of the Year recipient has demonstrated a desire and dedication that goes well beyond the basics and has empowered his or her Active Minds chapter to successfully use its voice to change the conversation about mental health on its campus.

Advisor of the Year Nomination Form

2011-2012 Winner: Jennifer Showers.  We are so grateful to ALL of our dedicated advisors for the immense amount of energy and time they devote to our students.  This year, we recognize Jennifer Showers, advisor of Active Minds at Alma College, for her outstanding guidance and leadership.  Jennifer is dedicated to the mission of Active Minds and has encouraged her chapter to look beyond their campus and facilitate educational events at a local elementary school.  In the words of Kayla Roy, Chapter President—“Jen doesn’t just take the advisor position as a label, she puts her heart and soul into this organization and expects her students to do the same.”  

Alumni Awards

Distinguished Alumni Award

This award is given to a former member of an Active Minds chapter for outstanding achievement or service to his or her community, Active Minds, Inc. and/or the field of mental health advocacy by raising awareness and removing stigma around mental illness and mental health. The recipient embodies the mission and values of Active Minds and demonstrates clear efforts to keep mental health education and advocacy a priority in his or her life. Contributions to Active Minds, Inc. may be a consideration, but not a requirement.

Distinguished Alumni Nomination Form

2011-2012 Winner: Francesca Pileggi.  Francesca is an alumna of Active Minds at Lafayette College and now works as a speaker for Minding Your Mind, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit educating students, parents, teachers, and school administrators about mental health.  For the past two years, Francesca has spoken to almost 25,000 students about her own experiences with depression and anxiety, while simultaneously working as the Director of Community Outreach, connecting students and staff to depression and suicide prevention resources.  Francesca is also a dedicated member of many of Pennsylvania’s suicide prevention initiatives, serving as a member of Pennsylvania’s Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative and the Chester County Suicide Prevention Task Force, as well as being on the Board of Directors for Pennsylvania’s Adult/Older Adult Suicide Prevention Coalition, where she serves as the chair of the Communications Committee.