What We Do
We’re so glad you’re interested in joining us to take action!
We’re so glad you’re interested in joining us to take action! There are many ways students, educators and community members can get involved with YTP to help spread mental health awareness and smash the stigma!
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Programs For:
- Everyone
- Workshops
- Uplifting Youth Voices
- Storytelling + Arts
- Hope Gardens
Program Packages for Schools
Choose Your Year-Long Roadmap to Mental Well-Being for Your Educational Community
Our Program Packages for Schools outlines how The Yellow Tulip Project (YTP) can work with your school to introduce a year-long roadmap aimed at increasing the overall mental wellness of the student body and school community, aligned with SEL goals. We offer simple, proactive, positive, and accessible activities that can be easily integrated into any school programming to create hopeful, safe spaces to address mental wellness. We know that approaching this topic as educators can feel overwhelming– that’s why YTP’s goal is to work with schools that are willing to take on this initiative in any capacity and to help them do it right through a long-term, sustainable program that will foster a healthier school environment for all.
You will find descriptions of and prices for Package Options 1, 2 + 3, as well as a la carte programming options.
‘Young Men Moving Mountains’ Photo Exhibit
An interactive photography and storytelling initiative showcasing the faces and stories of young men and non-binary folks who are impacted by mental health struggles.
Why Young Men?
Male-identifying folks accounted for about 80% of all suicides in 2021. This discrepancy is simply unacceptable, and we’re working hard to create safe, innovative spaces to help young men feel less alone.
These powerful portraits showcase young men simultaneously being strong and bold and also vulnerable, thoughtful and critically conscious. In their own words, they show us that there is power in vulnerability – that there is strength in telling your story. While changing perceptions of social stigma–especially the kind that young men face–can be extremely arduous, these brave young men are leveraging the powerful tool of visual storytelling to truly move mountains and tackle toxic norms head-on.
BRING THIS EXHIBIT TO YOUR SCHOOL OR COMMUNITY
‘I Am More: Facing Stigma’ Photo Exhibit
This powerful black-and-white photography exhibit aims to erase the stigma that surrounds mental illness by expanding our perceptions and challenging expectations of what mental illness “looks like”. We’re taking stigma by storm by sharing our stories, organizing community conversations, and traveling our exhibit.
THE STORY BEHIND THE EXHIBIT
We’re taking stigma by storm by sharing our stories, organizing community conversations, and traveling our exhibit. The courageous models in this exhibit are more than their depression, their anxiety, their eating disorder, their post-traumatic stress disorder, or being a suicide survivor. They are musicians, artists, nature lovers, parents, and friends; and they are all Facing Stigma.
Our exhibit consists of two traveling exhibits and a digital version accompanied by interactive teaching curricula designed for school or community conversations.
BRING THIS EXHIBIT TO YOUR SCHOOL OR COMMUNITY
Mental Health Workshops
Facilitated by YTP’s Director of Youth Engagement. Can be held virtually or in-person.
“It Starts With You: A Self-Care Toolkit”:
Defines self-care, explores (6) different spheres of self-care, and how to create healthy boundaries for meaningful relationships. The goal is to build conversation by inviting folks to reflect on their own experiences and to create seeds for growth.
This workshop is ideal for youth and adults who are interested in wellness and how to incorporate a self-care practice in their lives.
“Let’s Talk: Mental Health & Smashing the Stigma”:
Begins with the history of YTP and addresses stigma head on. What is stigma? What are the roots of stigma? Where do you see it and how can we disrupt it? The goal is to smash the stigma surrounding mental health & illness through open dialogue and getting curious together.
This workshop is ideal for youth and adults who are interested in diving deep and getting to the heart of the repercussions of stigma and how to make change.
“The Intersections of Identity & Mental Health”:
Explores the concept and framework of intersectionality, examining the relationships between systems, identity, and mental health through the lens of race, gender, and sexuality specifically.
“Our mental health oftentimes does not exist separately from identity markers….[as] there may be unique life stressors that accompany these identity markers….It is important to understand that our individual identities are not the issue, the problem lies within power systems that cause discrimination and oppression.” – The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
This workshop is ideal for youth and adults who are interested in learning about mental health and suicide from both a ‘micro’ (interpersonal) and ‘macro’ (systems) lens.
Workshops can also be customized to meet the needs of your school or community. To learn more, email ysanne@theyellowtulipproject.org
Youth Ambassador Program
YTP Ambassadors are the glue to our movement and the ones enacting change by tirelessly engaging with their schools and communities to smash the stigma. Every year, a handful of Ambassadors step up into leadership roles at YTP, working at a professional level in areas such as social media, Ambassador outreach and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Hope Gardens
Yellow tulips are a sign of hope. When communities come together, get their hands dirty planting a garden, and talk about mental illness, hope blooms!
HOW TO CREATE A HOPE GARDEN
- Order Yellow Tulip bulbs in the summer.
- Identify a location for your Hope Garden.
- Select a planting date in the fall: Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct 5-9), or World Mental Health Day (Oct 10).
- Gather a community to plant the garden.
- Provide a place for posting/gathering hopeful messages.
- Plant the bulbs together.
- Gather for speeches, memories and/or wishes of hope
- Take photos and videos of your Hope Garden and share with the community
Hope Days
After planting tulip bulbs in the fall, communities across the country organize ‘Hope Days’ in May during Mental Health Awareness Month. Hope Days can take many forms depending on the community they are hosted in, such as an intimate celebration, or a huge block party with musicians, food trucks and more – all that matters is bringing community together to view the tulips and celebrating hope.
Plan a Hope Day in your school or community
Storytelling Alchemy Course + Speaker’s Bureau
We are firm believers that talking about mental illness begins to normalize the conversation and we’re happy to come to your school or community to share our stories. YTP speakers will present their stories with a trained mental health facilitator in an engaging and safe way.
We’re speaking up and out at conferences, schools, community events, Tedx talks, Youth Tedx talks, Pecha Kucha. We want people to know there is help and hope out there and that no one should be alone or ashamed.
THE STORYTELLING ALCHEMY COURSE
We are training YTP Youth Ambassadors how to share their stories in YTP’s Storytelling Alchemy course.
Storytelling Alchemy strives to transform the difficult experiences from your life into a source of strength and inspiration for you, and for others. This course is a 4 week sprint course and based on your feedback we designed it with two components:
1. Live Zoom video calls
2. Pre-recorded classes on Udemy
The content is very simple and straightforward and the time commitment for this would be around 1-2 hours a week, with a couple of days being a little more time intense.
In this course you will be guided to:
• Skillfully navigate the stories you tell yourself about yourself
• Learn and utilize the Storytelling Alchemy framework to create and deliver your most powerful stories
• Join a community of care, commitment, and mutual empowerment
• Practice and master the delivery of your transformative stories
• Become more embodied and empowered as you share your stories
• Graduate from Storytelling Alchemy as a peer mentor to future course students
SPEAK UP!
Across the Globe: Cross-Cultural Conversations on Mental Health
Mental health is a global issue and we want to explore this topic across the globe. Cultural exchanges have been strengthening our understanding of the human condition for centuries– we have so much to learn from each other and we know that there is power in numbers.
What is cross-cultural mental health?
Across the Globe: Cross-Cultural Conversations on Mental Health is a safe place to discuss the stigma surrounding mental health across cultures. Together, we can learn from our various differences and experiences and deconstruct the stigma surrounding mental health through conversation. How is mental health addressed in your country? What are your strategies for self or community-care?
Want to Join in The Conversation? We are looking for youth-led groups from around the world to collaborate and provide spaces for conversations about mental health and stigma across cultural differences. If you’re interested, please contact community@theyellowtulipproject.org.
Adult Education Course
Mental illness is that silent elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about but everyone should. ‘Let’s Talk’ provides a safe and interactive space to learn more about mental health and what we as community members can do to reduce the stigma that surrounds the topic. We’re proud to offer this three session course, which is designed to help community members develop useful skills for talking to young adults about mental health in safe and productive ways.
LET’S TALK ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS
Let’s Talk About Mental Illness
Mental illness is that silent elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about but everyone should. Let’s Talk About Mental Illness provides a safe and interactive space to learn more about mental health and what we as community members can do to reduce the stigma that surrounds the topic. We’re so proud to offer this three session course which is designed to help community members develop useful skills for talking to young adults about these issues.
SMASH THE STIGMA
learn more about the adult education Course
Stigma Stories
Stigma Stories is a virtual lecture series that features speakers who share personal narratives on mental health and how stigma is impacted by their intersection(s) or community.
Nature-Based Arts Programming
Your Daily Creative Practice is a SEL-informed nature-based arts program designed to be adopted at any capacity in middle school classrooms, but can also be used by folks of any age. Each activity is designed to bring participants into the ‘here and now’, centering mindfulness as well as creative expression around the life cycle of a tulip.
To learn more about ways to bring YTP to your school, click here to view our Program Packages.
CREATING A DAILY PRACTICE
‘Your Daily Creative Practice’ Programming
Our new nature-based arts programming was inspired by the thousands of yellow tulip bulbs that are planted each year across the US and world. by people of all ages in schools and communities. A daily creative practice based on the life cycle of a yellow tulip is a way for people of all ages to connect with their natural surroundings, senses and themselves. Everyone has access to nature. Taking two minutes or ten minutes to quietly sit, observe and reflect creates an opportunity to be in the “here and now”. Engaging in a daily creative practice also develops self-awareness, promotes positivity and fosters hope.
learn more about the program
Virtual + Community Events
We host events year-round to take on stigma, spread hope, and build a supportive community. Be sure to check out the upcoming offerings!
KEY EVENTS
YEAR-ROUND
- Community Chats
- YTP 101
- Storytelling Alchemy
- Adult Ed
- So much more!
Community Events
We host events year-round to take on stigma, spread hope, and build a supportive community.
blue_arrow-svgVIEW ALL
YEAR-ROUND
- I Am More: Facing Stigma
- Facing Stigma: Creating Solutions
SUMMER
- Speak-Breathe-Talk-Flow
- Hope Day
Press + Testimonials
“The Yellow Tulip Project is dedicated to smashing the stigma around mental illness and their youth ambassadors shared some tips for easing travel anxiety with us.”
Boston Logan Airport
“All of us suffer, so it’s important to recognize that we all are a piece of this giant puzzle, and to show up and care for others.”
Madeleine Manno, Youth Director of Events
“You see how people in our school have bonded over the subject of mental health since planting Hope Gardens, and how it’s become a more comfortable topic in our school.”
Wilhelmina Goldberg, York High School
“Our dogs made us realize that we had to go on–they supported us through our toughest time.”
Julia Hansen on Tails & TulipsRadio Pet Lady Network
I have been to dozens of art openings and shows, and I have to tell you that “I Am More” was the best and most important one we’ve ever had. Each speaker’s words touched me and I’d be surprised if they didn’t do the same for most people there.
AttendeeI Am More: Facing Stigma Exhibit
Several students have already confided in me the personal importance of the Exhibit’s opening night, including an undecided advisee who yesterday told me he is now leaning toward a Psychology major, inspired in part by the Exhibit and discussions with his therapist.
EducatorI Am More: Facing Stigma Exhibit
I was so moved by the photographs–so simply hung, yet so poignant. The personalization of each portrait spoke volumes, just people trying to live their best lives and making a difference for others by telling their simple stories. It was amazing!
AttendeeI Am More: Facing Stigma Exhibit
“The project’s meteoritic success is due to its youth-led campaigns, and the safe spaces YTP cultivates to discuss and dismantle the stigma about mental health.”
Jackie Abramian
“I am so proud of the work we are doing and am so honored to work alongside such inspiring, passionate and determined young people who are eager to make a difference in this wild, wacky world. Life is hard and painful and exhausting but life is simultaneously beautiful and vast and interesting and kind and filled with light and love.”
Julia Hansen
“Each garden is going to have bulbs, and they’ll come up in the spring to show our solidarity against mental health.”
Dawn RobertsCommunity Health at Northern Light AR Gould Hospital
“On the I Am More Exhibit: It was so wonderful milling around, hearing all the wonderful, positive comments. I heard a man on his phone saying,’You have to get down here, this is amazing’ People talked to me, too, about their stories and how they could easily be the one on the wall. Folks were excited, moved, and connected.”
AnneArt Gallery Curator
“I think getting people together to talk about it is like Alcoholics Anonymous, where people get together and speak about their problem. They understand they’re not alone in this and understand that others are with them.”
Calvin Nelson
“Mental health wasn’t something that was talked about at home or school. The Yellow Tulip Project has made me feel safe, they have made me realize that what I am going through and the way I am feeling is normal and is ok.”
ConradYTP Ambassador
“People don’t want to talk about mental illness because it’s scary, and people don’t have the language, there’s so much stigma out there, but we’re trying to normalize that.”
Suzanne Fox
“The work of tulip planting last fall was very special. Our culture of stigma around mental illness touches many lives and people in Waterville took on this project with a vigor, intention, and commitment that was quite inspiring.”
Waterville Community Member
