Young people have invaluable insights into how best to strengthen the mental health and well-being of their peers and communities. Best Starts is investing in young leaders whose passion and innovation can help improve the well-being of their communities. Best Starts is proud to continue funding the Youth Healing Project, which provides mini grants to young people who create mental health supports for their peers.
The Youth Healing Project was originally created by young leaders and community organizations in 2020 in response to the survey “In Their Own Words: Young People Describe the Impacts of COVID-19.” The project provides resources and support to young leaders advancing solutions that improve the mental health, connection, and wellbeing of young people in King County. Best Starts has been funding the Youth Healing Project since 2022. Partners include King County Reconnect to Opportunity, Public Health-Seattle and King County’s Cannabis, Tobacco, and Prevention Program, Best Starts for Kids, citiesRISE, the Community Center for Education Results, and the Public Health Overdose Prevention team.
Meet the Youth Healing Project Awardees!
Click on the links to read what the young people shared about their own project!
- The Beauty of my Black/Brownness
- Care Code
- Diversity Mural
- Leaders of Tomorrow
- Marshallese Canoe Carving Project
- Mental Health Website
- Mood in Order
- NAACP Youth Council
- No Excuses Elementary Leadership Groups
- On the Front Line
- Resiliency Series
- Safe, Healthy, Happy Kids
- SanArte Healing Through Arts
- Speak out effects of COVID on Mercer Island youth
- Student Advocates for Mental Health and Addiction
- Student and Family Support System
- Super Cell SCD stories
- The Trail Youth
- UTOPIA
- Worth a Shot
- Youth Led Podcast Series
The Beauty of my Black/Browness
“At its core, The Beauty of my Black/Brownness (BOMB) aims to empower and uplift young BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) women against the challenges posed by systemic oppression and the impact of social media by instilling virtues as a protective shield. We empower these women to recognize warning signs, develop true self-confidence, speak out against injustice, and access resources for themselves and their communities! I am so excited to be working with High Schoolers this summer, as we haven’t had the resources to do so for a few years now. It is always an honor to watch the strength grow in my students as they go through The BOMB project!” said lead for the BOMB Youth Healing Project.
Care Code
“We are partnering with local mental health therapists to deliver a series of mental health workshops to youth and families in our community. We will also design a logo and QR code/Care Code to provide youth and families with mental health resources. Our Care Code and logo will be displayed on the merchandise we share at the workshops and on a community mural to inform people of resources, such as the King County Crisis Line and other local mental health crisis lines and websites. We are excited to spread awareness and promote the importance of mental health care for our community,” said Care Code Youth Healing Project lead Larkita.
Diversity Mural
“Our Teens Club at Mary’s Place will use the Youth Healing Project Grant to create a diversity mural that represents the diverse make up of our kids and families staying with us in shelter. Our youth are committed to uplifting BIPOC and multi-lingual voices in King County with this project that has created an opportunity for them see themselves in their community. They are excited to share this project and their culture, language, and lived experience with the community!” said Zoë Bill, Youth Services Director of Mary’s Place.
Marshallese Canoe Carving Project
“The Washington Marshallese Community Association and the City of Auburn, along with other community partners, have joined together to develop canoe carving classes for a traditional Marshallese 20-foot sail canoe – “Tiponil” – for Marshallese teenagers, which incorporates learning an ancestral skill while acquiring life skills in their new culture where belonging to and working as a team can lead to many successes.
This project will bring youth, families and community together, working to create this phenomenal canoe which will be “christened” in the waters of Puget Sound before taking a place at the Burke Museum, University of Washington.
With great appreciation, this exciting project, almost five years in the making, will become a reality in spring of 2024 due to the tremendous generosity of the Youth Healing Project 3.0 – Best Starts for Kids!” said the team from the Marshallese Canoe Carving Youth Healing Project.
Mental Health Website
“Living with mental illness can make youth feel isolated, and a large reason for that is that their peers don’t have much understanding on the topic. Our mission is to give those living with mental health issues a space to freely share their experiences, and at the same time, feel like they are reducing the stigma attached to mental health. The end result of this project is a website that uses people’s lived experience with mental health, to educate others. Open conversations are the first step in normalizing mental illness and creating supportive, healing environments, “ said Sophia, Youth Healing Project Lead for the Mental Health Website.
Mood in Order
“Born and raised on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish people, Alexia has been creatively immersed since childhood. Her journey began in youth choirs, blossoming into a love for performance through high school theater. Now, as the lead singer-songwriter in People of Flow, her passion for music thrives.
Beyond the stage, Alexia has a lifelong interest in teaching children. This passion, combined with her artistic pursuits, led her to this exciting opportunity. Her vision is to establish a youth program that promotes holistic health through the arts, music, and movement.
Scientific evidence confirms the link between these activities and emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Alexia believes that by equipping youth with self-regulation tools and resources, they develop a strong foundation of self-understanding. This, in turn, empowers them to navigate life’s challenges and positively impact their communities.
Alexia’s program aims to provide fun and engaging activities that foster healthy coping mechanisms and self-regulation skills, steering youth away from harmful escapism. Her dedication lies in creating a lasting program that empowers young people to thrive.” shared the Mood in Order Youth Healing Project lead.
No Excuses Elementary Leadership Groups
“Our mission is to empower scholars to foster meaningful connections with peers and adults, using social emotional literacy skills that support their mental health. At Graham Hill and in their homes they are recognizing and celebrating their own and others’ identities and strengths as leaders: “I want to help younger students to be a leader like us,” (Graham Hill, 4th grader). Given the tools and opportunities, these scholars are courageously engaging with doing the internal work of knowing oneself as a leader.” said Ayiana, No Excuses Elementary Leadership Groups Youth Healing Project lead.
On the Front Line: Faces of the Opioid Epidemic
“As a young adult emergency medical technician working in King County, I witness the devastating consequences of the opioid epidemic every day. Through my project, On the Front Line: Faces of the Opioid Epidemic, I hope to create a documentary that investigates and highlights the impacts the opioid epidemic has had on homeless youth with substance use disorders and on the young adults who assist them every day as emergency service providers. This documentary will give a platform to people who do not typically have the opportunity to share their experiences. This is important because the real stories told in documentaries are able to have an impact on an audience that other forms of media and reporting are unable to replicate. I want to create a documentary that acts as a vehicle for the de-stigmatization of people struggling with youth homelessness and substance use disorders. I also want this documentary to showcase the incredible work of the countless young adult emergency service providers in our community.” said Alex, leading the Youth Healing Project: On the Front Line: Faces of the Opioid Epidemic.
Safe, Healthy, Happy Kids
“The purpose of this project is to help take care of the basic needs of youth plus a little more for the physical, emotional, and mental health. Mental health is incredibly important and there is a lot of awareness about it these days. However, what isn’t talked about as much is the fact that mental health care is still seen as a luxury for so many people, especially our youth. If their basic needs are not being met, let’s say they’re hungry or cold or tired, it’s much harder to singly focus on their mental health. There is a mental physical connection in our bodies that isn’t as obvious but it is something that can be clearly felt and I hope to take care of that connection by ensuring basic needs can be met.
I’m excited for this partnership because it gives me funds that can directly go to supporting our youth without massive amounts of paperwork or politics involved. The vast majority of the money will be spent on resources for the youth and will be freely provided as the need is there for as many students as possible. We always talk about how students are the future and how they deserve the world, but have a scarcity mindset when we offer them resources. With this project, I’m excited to not only give the students the things they need to survive, but hopefully I can give them enough to help them start thriving,” said George, Safe, Healthy, Happy Kids Youth Healing Project Lead.
SanArte
“Our organization will be working towards creating safe healing spaces for undocumented, refugees and BIPOC youth in King County. We strongly believe that our lived experience and our healing journey has helped us have solidarity and compassion for other immigrant youth like ourselves. We are excited about co-leading healing circles with other youth, about sharing knowledge and healing through art, culture and reconnecting to your roots. We will continue to build strong relationships with other BIPOC youth in King County and other parts of Washington state.” said SanArte Youth Healing Project Leads Dani and Hever.
Speak out effects of covid on Mercer Island youth
“Our high school’s non-commercial radio station, KMIH 889 The Bridge, will be exploring the impact of Covid on students’ emotional and behavioral health throughout all grade levels: our community’s preschools, elementary, middle, and high schools.
Four years following the pandemic, we aim to reveal the depth to which students were changed by Covid and how our months in isolation are still continuing to affect us. Covid has increased stress, anxiety, loneliness, and depression for students. Post pandemic, the community has focused on providing mental health resources for high schoolers. However, we want to bring awareness to younger students, as many start experiencing mental health issues before high school. We hope by spotlighting the origins of where stress begins, more resources and education will be available earlier.
We’re both looking forward to bringing together 889 The Bridge staff-members from different grade and skill levels to accomplish this service project. Our campaign will compile interviews from a wide variety of students, teachers, parents, and medical professionals to result in a detailed and nuanced project, including PSAs, promos, mini features, etc.. that will be programmed onto the station’s airwaves,” said Hayley and Anna, leads for the Youth Healing Project: Speak out effects of covid on Mercer Island youth.
Student Advocates for Mental Health and Addiction
“Student Advocates for Mental Health and Addiction (SAMHA) has worked hard in the Tahoma School District community to support youth, educators, and their families with information and resources since 2020. SAMHA hopes to help break down barriers of stigma that prevent meaningful conversations about substance use and mental health issues. We do this by hosting events with public speakers, creating flyers, posters, pamphlets, and presentations for students, operating a parent support group, crafting stress relief activities for students, partnering with local lawmakers on youth support policies, and encouraging students to speak openly and often about these issues. Thanks to the Youth Healing Project Grant, these services are guaranteed through the following year. We can finally begin to expand our ideas to other school districts, hopefully bringing more SAMHA clubs to schools across the state. With this funding, we hope to provide higher quality education on these subjects that will attract a wider audience beyond just the Tahoma community in hopes of furthering our goal to end the silence on substance abuse and mental health challenges.” said SAMHA Youth Healing Project leads.
Super Cell SCD Stories
“Youth in the King County African American community who suffer from Sickle Cell Disease have the same dreams, aspirations, and goals as anyone else in our generation; but we also face a unique constellation of challenges. Chronic anemia from SCD also causes fatigue and can affect concentration, memory, and executive functioning. As with many chronic illnesses, people with SCD often suffer mental health consequences such as depression. All of these factors present youth who are coping with SCD with additional challenges as they seek to complete high school and move into higher education or employment and generally take on the responsibilities of adult life. This youth led podcast will provide a space for education, sharing, and healing for youth grappling with these challenges,” said the Super Cell SCD Stories Youth Healing Project lead.
Trail Youth
“Trail Youth will host community education events highlighting our youth addiction and recovery program that serves young people every Thursday night at our non profit Coffee Home in North Bend. For me, getting sober means balance between mental health and physical health, while making space for all. As a trans teen, I can say that there are not a lot of places where I feel safe. Trail Youth is a safe space. Recovery is a ripple effect. The more we talk about healing and letting youth know it is ok to ask for help is a big start.” said Karis, Trail Youth Teen Youth Healing Project lead
UTOPIA
“Our organization is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for LGBTQIA+ youth, with a focus on queer, trans, and nonbinary students of color. The MANA Youth Council, one of our key initiatives, is composed of individuals who advocate for the rights of LGBTQIA+ youth in schools and communities. Through regular meetings, the council addresses important issues faced by these youth, amplifying their voices and concerns in decision-making processes. This proactive engagement empowers youth to speak up and helps implement policies that promote mental health, emotional well-being, and substance use awareness in schools. The MANA Youth Council acts as a beacon of hope and resilience for LGBTQIA+ youth, providing a safe space for dialogue, peer leadership, and restorative justice. By providing these youth with the tools and resources to advocate for themselves and their communities, we are nurturing a generation of change makers who actively work to dismantle barriers and promote equity. Through direct communication and engagement with school authorities, our youth council representatives advocate for policy changes and address systemic issues that contribute to the lack of support and resources for LGBTQIA+ youth.
Our partnership presents an exciting opportunity to expand the reach and impact of our MANA Youth Program. By joining forces with a group dedicated to youth well-being, we aim to create safer and more inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth. This collaboration offers us valuable resources and support, allowing us to empower our youth council members and enhance our programming. Despite our unwavering dedication and the significant impact of our work, we encounter challenges such as securing funding and navigating resistance from school districts and leadership. The lack of financial support and opportunities for youth compensation hinders our ability to fully realize the potential of our programming and adequately support our youth leaders. Additionally, the prevailing anti-trans sentiment at a national and social level creates further barriers, resulting in resistance from school administrators and gatekeepers. To overcome these challenges, we emphasize the importance of ongoing advocacy, collaboration, and support from projects like this one. Together, we can strive towards creating a more inclusive and affirming environment for LGBTQIA+ youth, where their voices are not only heard but also valued and respected. Through our collective efforts, we can build a future where all youth feel empowered to embrace their identities and thrive in their communities.” said UTOPIA Youth Healing Project leads.
Worth a Shot
“Through a community partnership with the City of Bellevue and the Bellevue School District, my nonprofit organization Worth a Shot will expand our “Teen Cafe” program providing young people a safe space to express themselves and talk with like-minded peers about mental health, sources of stress, and building leadership and community. We will also provide classes on CPR and substance abuse, as well as organizing free health fairs for underserved, immigrant, and BIPOC communities providing culturally sensitive services to youth and families in our community. I am most excited to work with and learn from other like-minded youth towards our common goal of raising awareness about and destigmatizing mental health in our community,” said Mehr, Youth Healing Project lead for Worth a Shot.
Youth Led Podcast Series
“Our organization is dedicated to uplifting and empowering young Black and brown individuals with immigrant backgrounds in King County by addressing mental health challenges through innovative means. Through our dynamic youth-led podcast series, we aim to destigmatize mental health and create a vibrant platform where voices are heard, stories are shared, and insights are exchanged. We are excited to partner with these resilient young individuals to co-create a nurturing environment where authenticity thrives, vulnerability is embraced, and healing is celebrated. Together, we envision a profound transformation in how mental health is perceived and navigated, instilling a lasting sense of empowerment and belonging among the youth we serve,” said lead for the Youth Healing Project: Youth Led Podcast Series.
