Lets end stigma.
Here at Nighlite we’re working to end the stigma surrounding mental health within Bay Area communities through conversations, education, and resources.
Who are we?
We focus on stigma.
Nightlite is a student-run organization dedicated to destigmatizing mental illness and making mental health resources available to those who cannot currently access them. Our focus is on spreading positivity, awareness, and information on how students can take care of their mental health. Through these conversations, we take action to reduce rates of mental illness within Bay Area communities and make sure those with mental illness get the help and support they need.
We raise awareness.
Through different events we hold throughout the Bay Area, Nightlite combines fun with the importance of mental health and works to reduce the stigma around the phrase “mental illness.” We believe that through events like these we can foster a more supportive and educated community for teenagers and allies and encourage people to speak out and start meaningful conversations about mental illness.
We educate.
In addition to starting the conversation about mental illness, Nightlite works to educate students. Through presentations at middle and high schools in the South Bay Area, we provide students with the tools they need to take care of their own mental health and create supportive environments within their own communities. We also answer students’ questions and clarify common misconceptions about mental illness. By providing students with this information and utilizing our unique perspective as teens, we hope to change the way mental illness is viewed within local communities.
We give a voice.
We enable teens to speak through our numerous forms of media. Our website and social media pages allow youth to share their experiences with mental illnesses and changes they would like to see in their day-to-day lives regarding mental health in their schools. We also work to communicate with the administration at our respective schools on the ways different actions can improve the overall mental health of their students.
We fundraise.
All of the donations collected at events hosted by Nightlite directly positively affect people in our community who are living with mental illnesses by funding local mental health education programs. A significant amount of these programs focus on aiding those struggling with mental illnesses that lack the means to access therapists, meet with doctors, or afford medication for their conditions. Our funds go towards organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Adolescent Counseling Services, and the Momentum for Mental Health free drop-in center.
Impact
Nightlite focuses on what we call AEO: Awareness, Expression, and Outreach.
AWARENESS: Look to our detailed website and our robust online presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Our strong online following ensures that teens remain aware of mental health issues and are educated on how to take care of their mental health while they’re browsing the Internet. As internet-savvy teens ourselves, we know how to appeal to other young people and have successfully shown that an online presence is nothing to be afraid of, nor should it be underestimated when trying to spread your message.
EXPRESSION: We facilitate expression through events like our student roundtables, which allow students to take the lead in forging new paths to mental health awareness. Look to our separate blog, Nightlite Stories, where we publish anonymous submissions from students on how they really feel about the way mental health is treated in their communities. You can also find regular columns from our student guest writers.
OUTREACH: We directly engage with the communities we want to help via fundraising events and student and parent presentations. Our goal is to democratize mental health and ensure equal accessibility of resources via spreading awareness, and also through material goals like toiletries for our local drop-in centers and monetary donations to strengthen programs like free counseling.
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