For more info about partnership and sponsorship opportunities, please contact us.
A Big Thank You To Our Program Partners and Funders
Blue Shield of California: Leading with equity, Blue Shield of California’s BlueSky Initiative provides resources for youth, families, educators, and caregivers to promote emotional well-being for youth mental health supports through access, awareness, and advocacy. The initiative works with the California Department of Education (CDE) and nonprofit organizations to improve educational and health outcomes for youth by ensuring access to culturally diverse and responsive mental health resources. Read BlueSky’s article about Youth Creating Change here.
A longtime partner, Blue Shield generously supports multiple programs and initiatives at Youth Creating Change. They provide funding for our mini grant program, boosting efforts to provide youth in rural areas the opportunity – and funding – to participate in our program. For the last five years, they have also served as the signature sponsor of our Annual Award Ceremony.
Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Center for Distance and Online Learning Unit: In partnership with Youth Creating Change, The Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Center for Distance and Online Learning Unit aims to amplify student voice and leadership by providing hybrid training for teachers/students to participate in the Directing Change Film Contest. This creative partnership fosters mental wellbeing and resiliency through the Arts.
Funding is supported [in part] by grant number 6H79SM088086-01M001 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Any content of this program does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of SAMHSA or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and Arcadia for Suicide Prevention: Since 2020, Youth Creating Change has partnered with a research team from New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and Arcadia for Suicide Prevention to evaluate the suicide prevention curriculum delivered through our “mini grant” program. . Data are currently being collected in a randomized, waitlist-control study funded by the William T Grant Foundation. Preliminary results from a pilot study out of NYU and their Center (ARCADIA for Suicide Prevention) is available for review here. The pilot study included both a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews with youth participants and adult advisors.
As part of this evaluation, youth at 24 California high schools were surveyed during the 2023-2024 school year – once in the fall, and again in the spring. All 24 schools will also be surveyed again in the fall semester of the 2024-2025 school year. Findings from these surveys will help us better understand how participation in the Film Contest curriculum affects youth beliefs and behaviors around suicide prevention. Follow-up surveys will also look at how the program’s effects are felt throughout a school campus. Analyses of these surveys are currently underway, with findings to be shared soon.
Never a Bother Campaign: This year the Suicide Prevention Category is sponsored by the Never a Bother campaign. The Never a Bother campaign is a youth suicide prevention awareness and outreach campaign for young people and their parents, caregivers, and allies. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) funded campaign is implemented by Civilian as part of the broader California Children & Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI). The campaign aims to connect more youth experiencing thoughts of suicide to help by reinforcing the belief that they deserve support and are never a bother when reaching out to friends, trusted adults, counselors, and other types of support, such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
California Department of Public Health (CDPH): In 2022 and 2023, the California Department of Public Health sponsored our Mental Health Thrival Kits. Their generous support has led to the distribution of more than 200,000 kits.
Through the Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP), established by AB 2112 , CDPH serves as the designated state entity responsible for coordinating and aligning statewide suicide prevention efforts and resources through planning and collaboration across diverse partners and systems. The Mental Health Thrival Kit sponsorship was made possible by Grant # NU50CE002595 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health has generously supported Mental Health Thrival Kits for schools and youth-serving organizations in Los Angeles County. They also provided funding for the Mental Health Thrival Kits to be culturally adapted for Korean American and Filipino American youth.
California Counties and the Mental Health Services Act: The Directing Change film contest, was originally funded by counties through the Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63) and administered by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) as part of statewide efforts to prevent suicide, reduce stigma and discrimination related to mental illness, and to promote the mental health and wellness of students. Learn more about how the program got started and our story here. And be sure to visit California’s mental health campaign www.takeaction4mh.com.
We continue to appreciate our strong partnerships with county behavioral health agencies. To see how some counties are integrating our program locally, check out these county landing pages.
Survivors of Suicide Loss San Diego: Survivors of Suicide Loss (SOSL) reaches out to and supports people who have lost a loved one to suicide. Youth Creating Change and SOSLSD partner each year to put on the Annual Walk in Remembrance with Hope in memory of loved ones and to raise awareness about suicide prevention. A portion of the funds raised go to supporting San Diego area youth who are participating in the Annual Film Contest and San Diego County schools and organizations.
Angels Baseball: For several years, the Angels Baseball Foundation has provided funding to bring the suicide prevention curriculum to Orange County schools.
The Angels Baseball Foundation, established in 2004, concentrates on investments in education, healthcare, arts and sciences, and community-related youth programs throughout the region. In addition, the Foundation provides children the opportunity to experience the great game of baseball and its countless positive attributes.
In addition we appreciate all of our individual donations and supporters.
Last Year’s Presenting Event Sponsor
The Live Beyond ACEs Campaign: The recently launched Live Beyond campaign was developed for and by youth and the Office of the California Surgeon General. Live Beyond focuses on raising awareness and understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and their impacts while promoting strategies for young people to begin their healing journey.
Thank you to the Office of the California Surgeon General and the Live Beyond campaign for sponsoring the 2024 Annual Award Ceremony, and for your commitment to supporting the emotional, mental, and behavioral health needs of California’s children, youth, and families. For more information, and to start your healing journey, visit livebeyondCA.org.
Our Signature Event Sponsor
An Annual Award Ceremony multi year sponsor is the Blue Shield of California BlueSky youth mental health initiative. Leading with equity, BlueSky provides resources for youth, families, educators, and caregivers to promote emotional well-being for youth mental health supports through access, awareness, and advocacy. The initiative works with the California Department of Education (CDE) and nonprofit organizations to improve the health and well-being for all California youth, with a focus on health inequities in communities of color.
Additional Event Sponsors
Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Center for Distance and Online Learning Unit: In partnership with Youth Creating Change, The Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Center for Distance and Online Learning Unit aims to amplify student voice and leadership by providing hybrid training for teachers/students to participate in The Directing Change Film Contest. This creative partnership fosters mental wellbeing and resiliency through the Arts. Thank you for making it possible for LA County students to attend this event!
This event was supported [in part] by grant number 6H79SM088086-01M001 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The content of this event does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of SAMHSA or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Your Social Marketer: Your Social Marketer, Inc has been a Directing Change partner for many years and is passionate about having the films seen by as many people as possible to inspire much-needed conversations on these topics in our schools, families and communities.
Kaiser Permanente: Their Thriving Schools initiative brings together their extensive health care expertise and partnerships with nationally recognized and trusted organizations working to support schools in becoming a beacon of health in their community.
“At Kaiser Permanente, we’re committed to creating communities where people can be healthy in all the places they live, learn, work, and play. This is especially important in schools, which is why we launched Thriving Schools, our all-in engagement to improve health for students, staff, and teachers. As part of Thriving Schools, we partner with young leaders throughout the development process to improve the health of schools. Their lived experiences and expertise on the unique pressures on today’s youth are invaluable to ensure we provide the right tools that feel safe and culturally responsive. We applaud the young filmmakers for bringing awareness to these important topics in a creative, engaging way!”
