For my project, I led a creative outreach campaign at my school as part of the CreateConnectCare initiative, focused on mental health awareness through art. It was a hands-on project including those in the Unified Arts class who created emotion monsters, and others who contributed kindness rocks and ceramics inspired by self-care. I leveraged peer encouragement, classroom collaboration, and community messaging through posters and library displays to build engagement. Through this experience, I learned how to adapt plans when partnerships fall through, and how to spark participation by meeting people where they are — creatively and emotionally. It strengthened my confidence in leading inclusive projects and showed me the real impact of giving students a safe space to express themselves.

At first, I thought getting 50 submissions would mostly be about promotion, but I quickly realized that building trust, tailoring outreach, and staying adaptable were key to making it work. Our Unified Arts class was one of the most engaged groups watching students connect through their artwork and support one another emotionally was truly powerful. I also saw how different creative mediums from ceramics to painted rocks gave people space to express feelings in their own way. One big surprise was how deeply students responded when given the chance to create something meaningful. This experience helped me grow in creative leadership, initiative, and inclusive communication.

Serving as a Youth Advisory Council member was a meaningful experience that allowed me to combine creativity with mental health advocacy. I especially enjoyed working with my school’s Unified Arts class to explore emotional expression through art. Creating a project from scratch challenged me to adapt, problem-solve, and strengthen my leadership, communication, and outreach skills.