Maryland students are being invited to create posters that will be used to shed light on mental health issues.
“The theme for this year is ‘no judgment, just help,'” said Angie McRae, child and family engagement manager at the Mental Health Association of Maryland.
The thrust of the contest, she said, is to remove the stigma surrounding getting help.
“We are in a partnership with the Maryland Department of Health and the 988 crisis line,” McRae said, referring to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a service that’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Teenagers and younger students might not always take their concerns to an adult, McRae said, but “they’re definitely talking to one another.” Once they feel they have a trusted adult in their corner, McRae said, that’s when they may reach out for help.
Last year’s poster winner was 6-year-old Kayden. McRae said his work was outstanding.
“His message included kindness, hope and support, along with love, talk and listen. He drew a beautiful train with a rainbow and added those expressions, and I just — we all thought — it was just really sweet.”
The deadline for submissions is Feb. 6.
“All art submissions are done digitally online, so they can be uploaded along with the title of their artwork, a little description of their intention behind the artwork, and then the parents’ consent. And it’s as simple as that.”
The winning submission will appear as part of the Children’s Mental Health Matters public awareness campaign, McRae said. Copies of the posters are created and, “We hand them out for our champions of the campaign, as well as our outreach events,” she added.
According to the contest rules, one entry per student is permitted, but artists may collaborate on a single piece.
Complete rules are available online. Winning submissions from previous years are also available on the organization’s website.
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