Celebrate Youth Mental Wellness with Art, Data, and Fun on June 21 

SPRINGFIELD — The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts announced a free celebration of youth mental wellness on Friday, June 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Register at qrco.de/btomhc. 

This youth-led event, hosted by the Beat the Odds youth-advisory group to the Springfield Youth Mental Health Coalition, is designed to raise awareness about mental health, problem gambling, and self-care strategies; celebrate the healthy ways young people manage their mental well-being; and connect youth and the community to valuable mental-health resources.  

Several organizations will be tabling, including Gándara’s Impact Center and the Stop Access Coalition. Youth from A Queen’s Narrative and Gándara’s photoVOICE project will share artwork, and Beat the Odds youth will showcase creative data visualizations of the Springfield Public School District 2023 Youth Health Survey.  

“Art is a great outlet to express youth mental wellness and to understand public-health issues that may be otherwise hard to digest,” said Tiffany Rufino, Youth Mental Health Coalition manager at the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. “We hope this event encourages our young people to make healthy choices by providing resources and information in a fun, interactive way.”