Mental Health Youth Champions

Mental Health Youth Champions

For the next two years, our 10 Mental Health Youth Champions will curate workshops to equip Girl Up USA participants with the essential knowledge and skills needed to address mental health issues.

Learn More

OVERVIEW

Our 10 Mental Health Youth Champions will curate workshops for the next two years to equip Girl Up USA participants with the essential knowledge and skills needed to address mental health issues effectively.

These sessions cover various mental health topics and provide insights into recognizing threats, symptoms, and coping strategies. Mental Health Youth Champion will plan and host each session delivered by experts in the field, ensuring high-quality, informative, and engaging content.

Upcoming Events

Designed to Fail: The Architecture of Women’s Mental Health

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST

According to UN Women, almost 9 out of 10 women in cities around the world feel unsafe in public spaces (Cities Alive: Designing Cities That Work for Women). With a lack of women’s voices in urban planning, cities are increasingly being designed in a way that perpetuates a gender data gap. By not considering how women thrive within an urban environment, cities play an active role in negatively impacting the mental health of half their residents. The Architecture of Women’s Mental Health with Erin Sharp Newton, M. Arch, raised awareness about this unknown yet systemic problem afflicting our world and gave participants the tools to advocate for change. We have designed a world set to fail 50% of its residents, let’s fix it!

Erin Sharp Newton, M. Arch serves as the  Director of UDMH, and has been a Fellow since 2016, and e serves the Journal as a Section Editor.  Erin is also the 2024 President for AIACNJ.org.  Erin completed her post-graduate work at the UCLA in the School of Architecture and Urban Planning with a Master’s in Architecture and  Master’s in Design from Domus Academy in Milan, Italy, where she worked as a Creative Director for Cibic & Partners with Aldo Cibic.  Her core project  “A Family Business”, and “Citizen City” (creating hybrid social environments), grew through Cibic Workshop and other venues, including the Milano Trienalle.  Her work has been featured at the Royal College of Physicians in London, Healthy Cities, European Healthcare Design, published in our Journal, Domus, Interni Magazine, and Philips Solid Side, and others.  She has served juror/ critic/ mentor at major architecture and design schools such as the Art Institute, Cornell University, Drexel University, Kean University, Moore College, NJIT, Sci-Arc, UC Fullerton, UCLA, Milan Politecnico, Venice Politecnico, and Woodbury University.

Unwind & Uplift: Understanding Stress Management

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST

According to the American Psychologist Association, over 50% of teens believe that stress has little to no effect on their physical or mental health. Teens, like us, often fail to recognize and legitimize the physical and behavioral effects that stress can have on mental health. This avoidance can lead to an increased intensity of stress, making the use of stress management techniques all the more important. Dr. Adrienne Adams provided practical knowledge for how to make stress management more accessible, understandable, and personalized at Unwind & Uplift: Understanding Stress Management.

Adrienne Adams, MD, MS, is a psychiatrist who is Board Certified in child, adolescent, general psychiatry, and addiction medicine. She is currently the Vice Chair of Academics and Education for Endeavor Health-Northshore, Associate Professor-Adjunct Rush University Medical Center and Clinical Associate Professor- at UIC and University of Illinois College of Medicine-Rockford.  Dr. Adams has been involved with the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), American Medical Association (AMA), American Psychiatric Association (APA), American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training (AADPRT), and American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). A Distinguished Fellow in AACAP (2019) and in APA (2021) and inducted in the American College of Psychiatrists Honorary Society in 2023. She has held DEI roles within organizations including AADPRT, Illinois Psychiatric Society (IPS), and Illinois Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (ICCAP). She is the incoming President for the Illinois Psychiatry Society, board member for the Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board, physician board member of the task for Chicago Missing and Murdered Women and Girls, and has been  interviewed on PBS, WGN-radio and other social media outlets.

Here is an additional resource with some key takeaways from our session and additional techniques to try out for stress management <3

Check It Out!

Finding Your Light: Navigating Youth Depression and Suicide

Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST

According to the CDC, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10–24. Yet conversations around depression, grief and suicide are still silenced by stigma and misinformation. It’s time to change that. Dr. Katie Hurley facilitated conversation, shared real strategies for support, and helped participants turn personal stories into powerful advocacy!

Dr. Katie Hurley, DSW, LCSW is the Senior Director of Clinical Advising and Community Programs for The Jed Foundation (JED), a nonprofit dedicated to teen and young adult mental health and suicide prevention. She is the author of five books at the intersection of youth, parenting, and mental health, including the award winning No More Mean Girls. She also teamed up with her daughter, Riley, on a children’s book about female empowerment, Fiona McPhee, Please Listen to Me! Dr. Hurley is dedicated to promoting the mental health of tweens, teens, and young adults in her private practice, and speaks for schools, nonprofits, and other organizations.

Here is an additional resource to help us break the silence together, and there are things that YOU can do to help yourself and others today. <3

Dive Into It!

Inside Out: The Neuroscience of Confidence

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST

What goes on inside has a powerful impact on our actions and how we show up in the world. Inside Out: The Neuroscience of Confidence was an engaging, science-backed workshop designed to help you build true inner confidence. Attendees explored how understanding the brain and nervous system can unlock the mindset for greater confidence, build resilience and help you embrace your authentic self with guest speaker Julie Carrier. Through interactive activities and practical tools, attendees gained strategies on how to overcome self-doubt, transform negative self-talk into empowering, confident action and lead from the inside out.

Julie Carrier is a bestselling author, speaker and one of the world’s foremost authorities on leadership development for girls and young people. Named the “#1 Coach for Young Women” by Leading Global Coaches, Julie is the founder of The Leadership Development Institute for Young Women. She also serves as an advisory board member for Girl Up. A former senior management consultant in leadership development for the Pentagon, Julie is on a mission to bring evidence-based leadership development to empower the next generation of leaders. She specializes in equipping girls and youth with the mindsets and skills proven to grow character, self-efficacy, purpose, confidence, and self-leadership.

2025 Mental Health Youth Champions

Girl Up USA Mental Health Youth Champions are young leaders who are passionate about advocating for mental wellness and creating a positive impact in their communities. They lead efforts to raise awareness about youth mental health, develop initiatives to increase access to resources, and inspire others to get involved in promoting mental wellness.

Leaders

  1. Karla A.

    Reading, Pennsylvania

    Karla A. is a high school sophomore from Pennsylvania. She is passionate about mental health advocacy and gender equity in STEM. Her favorite thing to do is to travel to new places, her favorite being France!

  2. Yana G.

    Bellevue, Washington

    Yana G. is a high school junior from Bellevue, Washington. She is passionate about advocating for girls’ mental health and she enjoys hiking, spending time with family and friends, and music. Yana’s favorite artist is The Weeknd and her hidden talent is juggling!

  3. Isabella H.

    Canton, Michigan

    Isabella H. is a high school junior from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She has a passion for studying neuroscience, aspiring to become a psychiatrist. She enjoys reading, playing the clarinet, and expressing her creativity. Having traveled to three out of seven continents, Isabella loves cheering for the Michigan Wolverines and the Detroit Lions during football season.

  4. Aditi Arora Regional Representative for India and South Asia (upper body shot)
    Trisha K.

    Sunnyvale, California

    Trisha K. is a high school junior from Sunnyvale, California. She is passionate about addressing the data gap present in women’s mental health and ending worker exploitation in the clothing supply chain. Trisha enjoys learning contemporary dance and creating digital art.

  5. Nora L.

    Chicago, Illinois

    Nora L. is a high school junior from Chicago, Illinois. She is incredibly passionate about decreasing the stigma surrounding youth mental health, as well as reproductive rights. Nora likes to bike along the lakefront with her family, and she loves anything mango-flavored!

  6. Amberleigh Q.

    Trumbull, Connecticut

    Amberleigh Q. is a Puerto Rican high school junior who currently lives in Trumbull, Connecticut. She is an award-winning teen writer and activist, and is passionate about female representation in media, teen mental health, and the arts. Amberleigh plays the drums and has a Swiss Cheese plant named Mita!

  7. Emaan S.

    Katy, Texas

    Emaan S. is a high school junior from Katy, Texas. She is passionate about women empowerment in STEM fields and underserved communities and the intersection of medicine with different field. Emaan’s favorite book is The Book Thief and her prized possesion is her grandmother’s favorite gold necklace.

  8. Siyeon J
    Sriya S.

    Fairfield, California

    Sriya Srinivasan is a dual-enrolled high school junior from Fairfield, California. She is passionate about reproductive justice and menstrual education along with nutrition equity. Sriya loves to cook, bake, and read spin offs to TV shows!

  9. Tahirah A
    Saanvi V.

    Frisco, Texas

    Saanvi V. is a dedicated high school junior from Frisco, Texas, passionate about advocating for women’s safety, education, and mental health. Interested in the pre-med track, she aspires to make a meaningful impact in healthcare. In her free time, Saanvi enjoys writing and dancing, as well as exploring new cultures through travel. Finally, a lover of romance novels, she finds joy in stories that transport her to different worlds.

  10. Hannah Y.

    Los Angeles, California

    Hannah Y. is a high school student in Los Angeles, California. She is very passionate about youth mental health and environmental policy. Hannah also enjoys speech and debate, participating in theater, and listening to Wave to Earth!

This program, powered by The Starbucks Foundation, supports youth leaders in engaging young people to strengthen communities and build resilience.

Give to Girl Up

Your support of our girl changemakers means Girl Up can continue to work toward a world where girls have equal value, opportunity, and the chance to reach their fullest potential. You can make a difference in the life of a girl by donating today.

Girl Up is a hosted alliance within the United Nations Foundation responsible for its own programming and fundraising. UNF EIN 58-2368165.

How to Get Involved

All around the world, our network of a million supporters is mobilizing for gender equality. Will you stand with us?

  1. a girl with big smile on her face wearing Gril Up t-shirt (close shot)
    Join our Movement

    Gather a team and join a network of 6,800+ clubs driving global change

    Start a Club
  2. two girls are smiling and writing down notes and sharing a laptop
    Explore the Issues

    All issues are gender justice issues! Find out more about what our members are passionate about.

    Explore
  3. a girl who is looking down and using her finger to scrolling the phone
    Subscribe

    Sign up to get the latest news and happenings in Girl Up’s movement

    Subscribe
  4. Alum Network

    Where former Girl Up activists & members can connect, grow, & give back as they navigate adulthood

    Join
  5. Ayanna Pressley speaking on the #girlhero event
    Upcoming Events

    We’d love to see YOU at an in-person or virtual Girl Up event

    Join us
  6. Careers + Internships

    Become the newest member of the Girl Up team!

    Apply today

Close Overlay