Peer Education at Harvard
A National Movement
Active Minds is a national network of chapters in schools and workplaces dedicated to promoting mental health awareness to improve individual and community knowledge and functioning and aims to reduce suicide among young adults.
Active Minds was founded by Alison Malmon when she was a junior at the University of Pennsylvania following the suicide of her older brother and only sibling, Brian.
Get inspired with the Active Minds story on the national website.
Active Minds follows four core values:
- Be radically authentic
- Empower the community
- Pursue smart, bold innovation
- Inspire equitable and justice-driven action
As of 2024, Active Minds reports having a presence in 1000 schools and workplaces nationwide and estimates reaching 1,950,000 people in person through 4,006 mental health events.
Chapter at Harvard
The Active Minds Chapter at Harvard College was founded as a successor to the Student Mental Health Liaison (SMHL) program. This program is student-led and supervised by an independently licensed Mental Health Clinician at CAMHS. Since its adoption in 2021, members of Active Minds have continued to strive to promote knowledge of general mental health concepts and how to connect to mental health services through Harvard University Health Services (HUHS). The mission of Active Minds at Harvard is to increase community knowledge, support, efficacy, and sensitivity in relation to mental health on campus.
Harvard’s chapter of Active Minds has sponsored a variety of student-conceptualized activities and events such as mental health movies, arranging mental health fairs, and facilitating mental health workshops at first-year orientation. During the 2023-2024 school year, Active Minds organized two panels of expert faculty who led discussions of relevant topics such as eating disorders (in conjunction with the Harvard Ballet) as well as queer mental health. Through collaboration with faculty at Harvard College, Active Minds has aimed to increase mental health awareness through the inclusion of resources in course syllabi.
Harvard’s chapter of Active Minds has also facilitated Send Silence Packing®, a traveling exhibit to end the silence that surrounds mental illness and suicide.
Stay Connected
College students interested in learning more about the Harvard chapter of Active Minds should email harvardactiveminds@gmail.com.
