BREAKOUT | Youth Mental Health Revolution

The Experience:

A Two-Week Intensive Bootcamp

This isn't just training – it's a transformation. 16 Durham youth will become catalysts for change, ready to increase access to mental health support in their schools.

Train With The Team

Cohort-based training creates strong bonds between participants, forming a support network that lasts beyond the program.

Develop Real Skills

Learn to recognize warning signs, facilitate peer support, and create judgment-free zones where authentic conversations happen.

Create the Movement

These changemakers will create their own mental health awareness campaign and take it back to their schools, ready to pitch their initiatives to their administrators and counselors prior to implementation.

Youth Leaders

Days of Training

500+

Peers Will Be Reached

The Challenge:

The Pressure Is Real

Academic stress, social media, expectations from every direction: Young people need support systems that meet young people where they are.

40%

of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.

Source: CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2023

61%

of adolescents needing treatment reported difficulty obtaining it.

Source: National Survey of Children's Health, 2023

50%

of all mental health conditions begin by age 14.

Source: Mental Health Foundation

Disconnection

Young people can feel isolated and overwhelmed with few places to turn that feel authentic or accessible. Traditional support systems can sometimes miss the mark on identifying signs and reducing risk of mental health crises.

Stigma

Mental health struggles still carry stigma. Some youth won't seek help until they're in crisis—if at all. Peer-based approaches can break down these barriers.

Service Gaps

There's a critical gap between recognizing a problem and accessing help. Schools and communities need youth leaders who can bridge this gap and create pathways to support.

Youth Voices

"Adults create these mental health programs but they don't actually understand what we're going through. We need spaces that feel like us." — Jamie, 14, Durham, NC

"I know so many friends who are struggling but don't know where to turn. They want to talk to someone who won't judge them or put all their business somewhere in a file that follows them for the rest of their life." — Danté, 15, Durham, NC

"We have assemblies about mental health but really nothing changes. What's different?" — Ayanna, 17, Durham, NC

Our Approach:

Building New Systems

Our approach emphasizes connections and skill-building—breaking down barriers and building a bridge to professional mental health support.

Creating Belonging

Young people can feel disconnected and overwhelmed – with few places to turn that feel authentic. When students feel they truly belong, worlds open up.

Breaking Stigma

Adult-led programs and clinical settings can sometimes be uncomfortable. Youth leaders break down barriers and make getting help feel possible.

Youth Power

Even when adults offer mental health supports, getting the real help that youth need can sometimes feel so far away. Peers have a way of communicating with one another that resonates.

Real Impact

This isn't just another program – it's a movement. Youth-led support networks create lasting change by building connections that persist beyond any single intervention.

Youth-Led Design

Students don't just participate – they create. The entire approach is co-designed with youth at the center, ensuring solutions actually work for their peers.

Judgment-Free Zones

Youth leaders create safe spaces where peers can express what's on their hearts and minds without fear of judgment or clinical analysis.

Building Bridges

Youth become the crucial bridge between struggling peers and professional resources, making connections before crisis points are reached.

Asset-Based Approach

We leverage students' inherent strengths, empathy, and credibility to create authentic support networks that feel different from traditional programs.

Peer Support Circles

Youth leaders learn to facilitate small group discussions where peers can openly share challenges, build connections, and realize they're not alone.

Tapping Into Youth Creativity Workshops

Youth leaders will engage in creative exercises as a way to process emotions, themselves, and build community with one another.

Public Awareness Campaigns

Youth leaders will design, brand, and lead public awareness campaigns that change the conversation around mental health and promote help-seeking.

Resource Navigation

Once trained, a Phase II of this project will involve trained youth leaders helping peers connect with appropriate resources, making the process less intimidating and more accessible.

Our Team Of

Key Organizers

This isn't just another team—it's a coalition of experts with deep Durham roots and nationally recognized expertise in youth engagement.

Dr. DeLeon Gray

Project Lead

A 12-year Durham resident who has partnered with Durham Public Schools since 2012 to create youth-led initiatives. Dr. Gray's leadership elevates student voices as intellectual changemakers and connects youth leaders to national platforms. Areas of expertise include youth leadership, belonging initiatives, and community-based evaluation.

Dr. Kia Allah

Director of Youth Equity Programming

As a former Durham Public Schools Spanish teacher, Dr. Allah brings essential bilingual expertise and community connections crucial for reaching diverse student populations, including Spanish-speaking families. Dr. Allah brings bilingual expertise, extensive youth programming, and curriculum development experience to this initiative.

Dr. LaBarron Hill

Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Project Advisor

A professor and health psychology expert at the intersection of culture and race-related stressors. Dr. Hill's experience running trauma and pain support circles ensures the program connects youth programming to nationally recognized standards. Dr. Hill brings years of evidence-based support, as well as a rich understanding of mental health frameworks.

Ms. Nneka Anagor

MSW Intern, North Carolina Central University

As a Durham Public Schools alumna, Ms. Anagor brings community-based practice expertise that is essential for supporting local students. Her advanced training in crisis intervention strengthens the program's cultural reach.

Team Strengths

Deep Durham Roots

Our team includes DPS alumni, former teachers, and long-term residents with extensive local knowledge and established relationships in Durham schools.

Research + Real World

We seamlessly blend award-winning research with on-the-ground implementation, ensuring approaches are both innovative and practical.

Youth Leadership Focus

With a proven track record positioning youth as leaders, we've helped students secure grants, lead speaking events, and create their own initiatives.

Let's Move Forward:

The Investment

Investing in this initiative is an investment in youth leadership, community well-being, and a foundation of support for Durham students.

Budget Breakdown

👥

YOUTH HONORARIA

$4,800

$100 transportation stipend – because financial barriers shouldn't keep anyone from participating; $200 honorarium – because youth expertise deserves compensation.

🍎

BREAKFAST & LUNCH

$4,000

Daily breakfast and lunch for two weeks is about creating space where teens can focus on the real work without worrying about basic needs. Food brings people together and removes barriers to showing up consistently.

🎤

NEAR PEER MENTORS

$3,000

We're bringing in near-peer mentors who can serve as idea partners for youth, engage them in activities throughout the day, and give our youth leaders diverse perspectives beyond what they'd get from older adults alone. Each near-peer mentor would receive a $1,500 honorarium for their full teamwork in facilitating the two-week program.

🎨

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

$1,000

Creative expression isn't a luxury – it's essential for mental health work. This covers supplies for storytelling, art, music, and journaling activities that help teens process tough emotions and build authentic connections, including the purchase and design of youth-designed t-shirts that can use to personalize the brand of their mental health awareness campaign.

🛡️

STAFF & PROFESSIONAL OVERSIGHT

$5,400

Whereas this amount doesn't cover the full cost of professional oversight – it's a contribution toward the massive amount of work happening behind the scenes to make this program legitimate and safe: Program design that's based on evidence, not just good intentions; A licensed psychologist ensuring everything we do is appropriate and effective; Staff time for recruiting the right youth, creating content that hits different, and managing logistics; Safety protocols that clearly define when peer support isn't enough and professional help is needed.

🔄

CONTINGENCY FUND

$1,300

This contingency fund is responsible planning for a first-time program. When unexpected costs hit (and they will), we can adapt without compromising on quality or safety. For example, in the event that guest speakers are unable to volunteer their time, a portion of these funds may be used to secure their participation and expertise as part of the program.

TOTAL BUDGET

$19,500

Thank you for serving as an idea partner on this collaborative vision for youth-led wellness initiatives in Durham. Let's work together to build systems where young people not only receive support—they lead it.

Be A Game-Changer

Youth Aren't Just Being Heard — They're Leading the Charge