The Active Minds Club is a mental health advocacy group dedicated to changing the conversation about mental health and de-stigmatizing mental illness at El Camino College. Active Minds is also a national organization, with thousands of chapters across the nation.
Active Minds - Changing the conversation about mental health
The Active Minds Club will focus on providing information on mental health resources, spreading awareness regarding mental health, and advocating for events geared towards mental health on campus.
By changing the conversation about mental health, we can create a better system for supporting those who need the help, and allow for everyone to acknowledge and take care of their own mental well-being.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION TODAY!My name is Zoila and I am passionate about mental health awareness because I, myself
have experienced struggles with mental health and needed resources, but did not know
where to look. I had never discussed mental health at home and rarely with my friends,
so reaching out for mental health resources was difficult and felt strange/shameful.
I turned to my school’s health center for help and was guided to mental health resources
that I still utilize to this day. I want to help destigmatize mental health, both
at ECC and in the community at large, by being open to and creating discussions about
mental health. Struggling with mental health is not something anyone needs to be ashamed
of and it is something that we should be able to talk about and reach out for help
when we need, without the fear of being judged by others. I want to be able to help
share mental health resources so that everyone has access to them when needed and
can spread these resources to family, friends, communities, and more. I joined Active
Minds because I know we can have a future where experiencing mental health struggles
will not be seen as taboo and everyone will feel comfortable seeking out help for
their mental health. Active Minds is here to help support students at ECC experiencing
mental health issues, relieving stress throughout the school year by offering activities
like Pet Therapy, and offering information on both local and national mental health
resources. We are here to be a shoulder you can lean on in times of need and to help
point you in the direction of further resources. I know there are great things to
come from the Active Minds student organization on campus and I am happy to be a part
of it! Together we can end the stigma around mental health and open up the conversation
to help support each other and share mental health resources so everyone can have
the access they need.
On April 4th, 2022 El Camino College hosted Active Minds and the Send Silence Packing display. This display had over 600 backpacks with stories of individuals that died by suicide. Not only was the display impactful to many, but it brought awareness of mental health to El Camino College. These past few years have been hard on all of us, and we want every student and also staff to know that there are resources for everyone.
Present at the event were the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Mental Health, Mental Health America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the LQBTQ Center of Long Beach, and Asian American Drug Abuse Program.
Therapy Dogs visited El Camino College three times during the Spring and Summer Semester to help students destress with a pet. We know it’s important to bring events like this to campus in an effort to help our fellow students smile and be mindful of taking time out to do things that make us feel happy!