Governor Henry McMaster Proclaims May 2021 as Children’s Mental Health Month

What is CMHM?

 

The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health declares the first full week in May as National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. The Federation of Families of SC has expanded this campaign to the full month of May. Children’s Mental Health Month is dedicated to increasing public awareness about the triumphs and challenges in children’s mental health.

CMHA Day

SAMHSA

A look back at previous awareness day activities

CMHA Day

SAMHSA

A look back at previous awareness day activities

CMHA Day

SAMHSA

A look back at previous awareness day activities

Project AWARE Photo Contest Winners

One of the goals of Project Aware (Advancing Wellness & Resiliency in Education) is to increase awareness around the importance of student wellness. FFSC launched a photo contest for students in the 3 school districts (SD) under Project AWARE. We encouraged all students from across the districts to submit a photo reflecting the theme “Hold on to HOPE: HOPE Changes Everything”.

Anderson SD 2:
Belton Middle School
*Photo Contest Winner*

Artist: Teeya Alexander
Caption: This photo was dedicated to nature and diversity. all of the different kinds of flowers and plants, show off the beauty of nature. Also, the different colors of hands represents that we can come together to do amazing things if we put our differences aside we can make something beautiful. 

Anderson SD 2:
Belton Middle School
*Honorary Winner*

Artist: Ivy Gillooly
Caption: This photo shows the beauty found in nature. The planet is getting more and more damaged from humans and this photo represents the hope that we can still fix our mistakes. 

Anderson SD 2:
Belton Middle School
*Honorary Winner*

Artist: Addie Baldwin
Caption: Keep hoping, and in time things will work out.

Florence SD 1:
Mc Laurin Elementary School
*Photo Contest Winner*

Artist: Kyra McCluney
Caption: We may be quarantined but that doesn’t mean we can’t cuddle up in the bed and chill.

Florence SD 1:
Southside Middle School
*Photo Contest Winner*

Artist: Jenna Fox
Caption: As my life gets blurrier, I hold onto the fact that what I see now is just a perspective. For the way I see things now will somehow always change. A ball of glass for example, clears the blur and focuses on the clear. It reminds me of how my life is right now. Through all of my stress and anxiety about COVID and school, I remind myself right now that this is just one perspective I am looking at, and a perspective can always be changed. I hold onto hope replaying in my mind that every blur will get cleared eventually, and have hope that one day these bad perspectives will be changed.

Florence SD 1:
Southside Middle School
*Honorary Winner*

Artist: Emma Truitt
Caption: My picture shows me that there’s always different signs of hope everywhere. My family and I had gone on a trip to stay at the mountains. We’ve been trying different things to do there, but it’s all closed due to COVID-19. One evening my family and I were taking in the sights of the beautiful mountains. It reminded me that you can still have a good time with your family without doing activities. 

Florence SD 1:
Southside Middle School
*Honorary Winner*

Artist: Lily Green
Caption: I think of this photo as the red of the clouds is almost like the anger of people, but the other colors are the “hope” or calmness of the earth and it settling. I thought of the photo like as the sun went down, people’s anger slowly vanished and hopefully the next day would not be as “angry”.

Florence SD 1:
Southside Middle School
*Honorary Winner*

Artist: Manning Hatchell
Caption: I was outside when I saw a group of flowers in very light and gentle colors. It was also a very dark and stormy day which made it feel like it was giving a sign of hope.

Florence SD 1:
Southside Middle School
*Honorary Winner*

Artist: Jayla Godbold
Caption: In some cultures, a flap of a butterfly’s wing grants one lucky individual a wish. So every time you see a butterfly, think of the many people wishing and hoping for a better life. You just might be able to grant one, if one so desires.

Florence SD 1:
Southside Middle School
*Honorary Winner*

Artist: Lydia Danford
Caption: I chose this picture because it reminds me of how the world is full of problems, but we can break through the chains. We can get weighted down by stress, but we can learn to thrive. With the right tools, we can rise up and get through our problems.

Florence SD 1:
Southside Middle School
*Honorary Winner*

Artist: Joseph Galeano
Caption: This rose may be in the dark, and may not be fully matured, but it has room to grow and blossom. One day when the sun reaches it, it will begin to bloom. This can also represent depression, although you may be in a dark place with no where to grow or bloom. It’s important to wait because eventually it will be your turn to blossom.

Florence SD 1:
Southside Middle School
*Honorary Winner*

Artist: Davis Love
Caption: I took this picture after a teacher told me something about flowers. If a flower is bunched together it is going to have limited growth, but this flower is by itself right now. That is how some people feel when they are depressed, but they need to know they will get through it and fully blossom.

Sumter School District:
Sumter High School
*Photo Contest Winner*

Artist: Lucy Mclver
Caption: This picture was taken at a summer camp I attended a little while ago. This photo has always made me smile because I think back on this day and how everyone came together for this event. No one had to be there. Everyone wanted to be there. As silly as it sounds, bubbles offered a sense of common ground between all of these kids with all kinds of different backgrounds. In this moment, we were all the same: just a few giddy teenagers who were ALWAYS down for some bubbles! I have found that finding common ground is the most important thing in life. We, as humans, are all incredibly different in the best ways, but in order to relate to each other and understand others circumstances and differences, we have to be willing to seek out the similarities. The bubbles in this photo offer hope. They symbolize the possibility of unity…between all people, not just a certain few. These bubbles broke the barrier between the football players and the robotics club members, the adults and the teenagers, the outgoing and the shy. It was a magical thing. 

Sumter School District:
Crestwood High School
*Honorary Winner*

Artist: Taylor Barber
Caption: Sometimes we have to venture into the unknown, find ourselves, and face challenges that we may have never faced before. Not every day is a good day, but there is always hope for it to be. Or maybe the day after it to be. To hope takes effort; its not always easy to hope. It can be hard to keep hoping. This photo represents the adventure that anyone can face on any day, and it expresses the hope for not only a better tomorrow, but also a better today. Looking out to new horizons.

Sumter School District:
Sumter High School
*Honorary Winner*

Artist: Grace-Lynn Thode
Caption: This photo was taken in my backyard and edited in a program called photopea. The gray background represents the feeling of being lost, and the bright color of the plant represents bringing hope. 

Project COPE Photo Contest Winners

One of our goals of Project COPE (Counteracting the Onset of Psychosis Early) is to increase awareness to reduce the stigma of mental health. FFSC launched a Photo Contest for youth ages 10-25 to help encourage well-being. We encouraged all youth from across the seven counties under the Beckman Center to submit a photo to show us, and their peers, what brings them peace or a peaceful state of mind. Reflecting the theme “How Do I COPE”.

Abbeville County:
First Place Winner

Artist: Dima Hershberger
Caption: The photo is my Gratitude Basket. This shows
how I cope by reminding me of good things I am thankful for. 

Laurens County:
Second Place Winner

Artist: Ashley Alewine
Caption: This photo represents me with my
support team standing by my side. 

Art Contest

The Art Contest is held yearly to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Month!
Below is a feature of our 2021 Children’s Mental Health Month Poster!

CMHM Art Contest

For the past 18 years, the SC Children’s Mental Health Month Poster has been a positive, creative outlet to raise awareness and help reduce stigma that keeps children and youth from being identified and treated for their behavioral and or mental health needs.

The poster is designed using the winning art from this contest! A panel of judges will vote on a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for artwork that best represents the slogan. The prizes are $100 for 1st, $50 for 2nd, and $25 for 3rd place.

We encourage classrooms and other groups of children and youth to share why they think children’s mental health matters and the need to focus on and talk about it more openly. The creation of the artwork is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of everyone’s emotional well-being and health as many students face issues such as bullying, isolation, and stigma.

Contact Information

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Federation of Families of SC
810 Dutch Square Blvd. Suite 486
Columbia, SC 29210

803-772-5210 – Office
866-779-0402 – Toll Free
803-772-5212 – Fax

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