12 STEM-B

November 25, 2022

Title

Mental Health Awareness program for the youth in La Trinidad Benguet

Introduction

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education puts an

emphasis on preparing future generations to be successful in their careers. The skills
gained from STEM education extend beyond those needed to be successful in STEM
fields, preparing children with varied interests who move into any industry to have
valuable skill sets that allow them to be successful.

STEM-based education teaches children more than science and mathematics

concepts. The focus on hands-on learning with real-world applications helps develop
a variety of skill sets, including creativity and 21st-century skills.

21st-century skills include media and technology literacy, productivity, social skills,
communication, flexibility and initiative. Other skills attained through STEM
education include problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, decision
making, leadership, entrepreneurship, acceptance of failure and more. Regardless of
the future career path considered by these children, these skill sets go a long way to
preparing them to be innovative.

By directing attention and resources to our project and purposefully weaving it into
our plans to reach out target. We will be able to address mental health crises and
prevention at the individual, community and country levels. At the same time we can
also begin to meet these very ambitious and necessary global goals for our world.

Rationale or Background
Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own
abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, and is able to make contributions
to the community.

However, a lot of people still lack knowledge on what mental health truly means.
Most of the time, people automatically associate the word "mental" with negative
terms such as "abnormal" or "crazy" which is way too far from its real definition.
These labels attached towards mental illness sufferers stigmatize them away from
seeking proper medical treatment due to fear of shame. What’s a worse, even young
person are getting involved in unhealthy coping approaches because of these unfair
notions. It includes alcoholism, illegal drug use, bad eating habits, and self-harm.

It is important for a human being to be mentally healthy because it allows one to be

productive. This enables a person to strengthen his or her social relationships as well
as to efficiently deal with the changes in his or her environment.

The World Health Organization estimates that one in four people will experience a
mental health condition in their lifetime. There has been growing recognition that
neurological health and mental wellness, or lack thereof is both a cause of and
solution to global issues like violence poverty and overall health.

In order to build lasting solutions, we must understand the depth and breadth of the
problem. Never before have we lived in a time where the ramifications of our daily
decisions and actions affect so many ,so fast. The pace at which the world is
advancing, in ways that both help and harm us, is staggering.

The interconnections are profound. They hold the key to unlocking the exponential
change that could turn the tide in our favor. The vision of the 17 SDGs is aimed at
transforming our world into a place where our children are safe at night, a depressed
brother doesn't commit suicide, and where people have jobs that allow them and their
families to thrive.

The goals of the program are to empower youth, foster local community support, and
reduce stigmas and perceptions about mental health illnesses. The plans to achieve
these goals first involve increasing the awareness and knowledge about mental health
disorders and clearing up the misconceptions about the disorders.

Project Description
The first objective of empowerment consists mainly of increasing positive attitudes,
building self-esteem, and developing healthy support systems. Raise awareness about
the mental health continuum, reduce stigma associated with mental illness, promote
help seeking behaviors and emotional well-being practices, and prevent suicide
through individual education and outreach events.

1. This will be achieved by getting the youth to open up and talk to one another
through means of focus groups and exercises involving interpersonal communication
skills. During the group sessions, the youth will be given skill building exercises to
complete individually and also will be participating in partnered activities. Each
activity will contain real life scenarios that involve a dialogue and discussion. This
will build each youth’s confidence level and provide insight on various ways to deal
with situations.

2. The next step is to foster local community support. To do this task involves using
social networks that are already inside the community by creating awareness,
educating the population, providing accurate, adequate, and appropriate information.
There's an Ethiopian truism that says, "When spider webs unite, they can tie up a
lion." By working with community groups and significant local representatives, we
can affect the community. Because of the spiritual and religious influence established
in these communities, the plan will incorporate biblical values and collaborate with
ministers.

The ministers will help us gain the trust, commitment, and loyalty of the community.
The plan is not a replacement to the local church; it is to be a supplement to the
church teachings. With this collaboration and partnership involving the church and its
religious leaders there should be a 25% decrease in depression, anxiety, and stress
related disorders and/or behaviors. This will be evident from the doctors' reports,
police reports, and neighborhood clinics accountability logs.

3. Lastly, the reduction of stigmas and perceptions as regards to mental health

problems among the youth. In our efforts to combat these issues, we have engaged
local radio, television and newspaper personalities to come into the community
biweekly and listen to the concerns of the people.

This has enabled important discussions to take place and issues to be brought to the
forefront. Community leaders speak on the misrepresentations of the community,
while the personalities ask questions and seek resolutions. This type of intervention is
beneficial for everyone involved. Because the media plays a big part in getting
information out and creating images, perceptions, and attitudes.

This part of the plan can be measured by the new television shows, commercials,
advertisements. music videos, newspapers articles, magazines and all other media
outlets that are being aired. The print, visual, and audio media will begin to portray
the youth in a better more positive perspective when it comes to telling their stories.
A 30% decrease in negative images, stories, and songs.
This program provided a way for the youth to empower themselves and their
communities; recruit culturally competent psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists;
create networks of providers; mobilize neighborhood watches and patrols; encourage
support groups and peer mentors; draw attention and promote action to build literacy
rates; educate; train; inspire; build unity; increase awareness; develop community
pride and ownership; create leaders and role models; develop policies, implement
laws and guidelines on conduct; decrease loitering. soliciting and the presence of
alcohol vendors.

The program is to reduce the negative stigmas and perceptions attributed to mental
illness among the youth and their communities as a whole. By reducing the stigmas
and perceptions it has been emphasis on uplifting and elevating the community in
which they reside.
Sources of revenue

Investments

Donations (money, clothes, equipment)

Charitable Gifts

Contributions

Sponsorships

Social Events

Seminars

Budget, item description and amount

Transportation

Food packs

Water

Coffee

Gymnasium

Security

Personnel or equipment needed

Telephone

Internet

Office Supplies

Computer/Computer supplies

Security
The project “Mental Health Awareness program for the youth in La Trinidad
Benguet” needs a support from World.

Health Organization for our association to make all these plans possible. They will
serve as our main foundation in building our rehabilitation centers which will help a
lot of youth. This is not just a simple project; it plays an important role in the
community. We are sure are looking forward for this funding agency to be a huge
help for our organization, since we have the same goals toward spreading a better
health care for the community. The support that the funding agency will give to our
project will be spent wisely, since we will be using it to help people who are suffering
from mental illness. Another purpose of this project is to help the government in
exterminating affected youth by giving them new lives through medical treatments
and rehabilitation. We guarantee that our project will benefit a lot of people in La
Trinidad, Benguet as well as whole country and even in the whole world