When founder Julia Hansen was in middle school and until her sophomore year in high school she definitely felt alone in dealing with her own depression. The deafening silence and stigma that surrounds the topic kept her from reaching out for help. It took the tragedy of losing her two best friends to suicide when she was a 15 year old high school sophomore for her to find her voice and to speak out.
She and her mom, Suzanne Fox, had an idea – to create a space for determined youth to eradicate stigma, build community, and inspire productive conversations about how to combat the rising rates of suicide. The Yellow Tulip Project (YTP) was born from this vision.
Our mission is to smash the stigma surrounding mental illness and to build a community of people who realize that hope happens when youth and community leaders work together. We hope that someday mental illness will be as normal to talk about as any physical illness, and are fiercely dedicated to making this goal a reality. We are a determined youth-driven movement tired of the silence surrounding mental illness — and we’re ready to move mountains to bring change and to remind folks that there is help and hope out there. We are tired of the deafening silence around this topic. We are tired of the stigma that keeps people from reaching out and getting the help they need. We are tired of suffering in silence and we are tired of losing our friends to suicide. It doesn’t end until we’ve smashed the stigma and made every person struggling aware that there is help and hope which is why we need YOU.
The Yellow Tulip Project (YTP) fosters an engaged nationwide network of Youth Ambassadors who are empowered to take action and smash the stigma in their schools, communities and beyond. We also provide impactful programming for youth, educators and communities that leverages inventive uses of art, photography, nature-based activities and storytelling to reduce stigma. Our programming, initiatives and events are scalable and accessible, making them ideal for the school or community level.
Our important work doesn’t end until we’ve smashed the stigma and made every person struggling aware that there is help and hope – which is why we need YOU. Find out how you can make a difference by joining the YTP network of young people, educators and community members from around the country!
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Reach out to YTP’s Executive Director, Anaïs DerSimonian at anais@theyellowtulipproject.org