Healthy Mentality
A Free Poster Program Design Contest!
Revan P.’s winning poster: “Keep Looking Up”
Free Poster Program ran a contest to help design its next poster focused on promoting mental health for young people aged 10-14 years old. Our outreach focused on peer-led spaces, clubhouses, and schools.
We received submissions from three difference states (New York, Florida, and Hawai’i) and were delighted to receive ideas from people of all ages. Here’s a reflection, from our contest winner, Revan:
It's been a long and ongoing journey for me with my own mental health. I've found that everyone has their own way of getting through it, and that it was the experiences in my life that helped me find what works for me. Although my mental health journey isn't over, I've made so much progress by taking life step by step. I hope to inspire other people to keep moving forward, and to be kind to themselves as they follow through their own journey.
I am a 10th grade student at La'Guardia HS in NYC. I major in Fine Arts, and have a passion for deep pieces, full of color. When I was younger, I attended the same school from kindergarten through 8th grade. Connecting with a young person is a lot harder than some might think. After all, they are still learning about the world, and about themselves. Mental health is such an important aspect of people's lives, especially as they’re growing up. Having a healthy mindset can open doors to so many amazing experiences. We often had posters in the halls that advocated for mental health awareness. These posters lacked meaningful messages, and the designs felt plain unwelcoming. Eventually they became just invisible to the students. I want to create a poster that kids will remember and take the time to read! Colors, words, and formatting are major elements that we can use to connect with students. I have the opportunity to create something impactful for kids like me, and I will do my best for them!
The winning poster will be printed and distributed to our school-based education partners in Oakland, California. In addition to getting 3 full sized copies of the poster, the winner received $1,000 as a cash prize. 3 runner-ups received $200 in gratitude for their efforts and inspiration.
How It Worked:
1. Ideas Only!
Initially we only reviewed poster ideas submitted via online form, not completed poster artwork. Applicants sent portfolios, example images, or rough sketches but this was not required to participate. Submitted ideas were considered on:
Age appropriateness - Will it speak well to our middle school audience?
Memorability - Will it make an impression that the audience will remember?
Message - Knowing what you know now, what mental health message do you wish you had on a poster back when you were in middle school?
Visual Flair - How will you make the poster eye-catching and intriguing?
Not sure what to propose? You can use some of these ideas! Just describe what else you would add or how you would make the poster come to life!
It’s OK to be NOT OK!
How to bring up your challenging experiences (who can you talk to? what are examples of what you could say?)
How to listen to someone who is having a hard time
How do you stop bullying?
How can we fight the stigma around mental health, starting with our young people?
2. Finalists announced! Time to make the posters!
Four finalists will be invited to create their visual poster for the contest.
3. The winners were…
Finalists had several weeks to submit their finished poster designs. Our judges review, decide, and announce the winning poster design! All three finalists and the winner will be awarded their well-earned prize money.
4. Finishing touches! Off to the presses!
Our faculty will work with the artists to finalize the posters in preparation for print. The final winning design will be printed and sent for printing before being mailed to our educational partners. All other winning designs will be offered either for free or as part of Free Poster Program’s print-on-demand service.
This 2024 Mental Health Awareness initiative is brought to you in partnership with South Bay Project Resource, a California Bay Area based grassroots collective supporting dialogue and education about mental health. Project Resource draws its inspiration from a range of national and international psychosis-related projects and approaches, including family systems theory, the international hearing voices movement, intentional peer support, trauma-informed care, and mindfulness and compassion-based intervention.