Education

Stigma was Born in the Dark

The SHINE Initiative provides leadership and funding to improve mental health literacy and awareness - eliminating stigma and the barriers it creates to treatment and progress.

Spotlight: Voices for Change Conference
In March 2011, the Voices for Change Conference was launched and became the first program in our Educational Series. In a strategic alliance with Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) in Gardner, Massachusetts and with 14 Mental Health Stakeholder Organizations, the SHINE Initiative launched a day long, campus- wide Conference called Voices for Change.

The conference was designed to identify and address the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness on the campus of MWCC and to make recommendations for additional support systems to be put into place to more fully assure the successful completion of a college degree for every student living with mental illness.

Additionally, the goal is to create a mentally healthy campus for all students that will be evidenced by the equal treatment of all students.

With four (4) modules/ focus groups operating simultaneously, each with its own Theme, the highly successful Conference yielded much information that will be presented to the Board of Trustees in 2011 for their consideration and implementation into their Strategic Plan for the Campus.

We Need Your Support

Please make a 3-5 year pledge to help support a SHINE Initiative's mission of shining a light on mental illness by donating any amount you can.






	Education Stigma was Born in the Dark The SHINE Initiative provides leadership and funding to improve mental health literacy and awareness - eliminating stigma and the barriers it creates to treatment and progress. Spotlight: Voices for Change Conference In March 2011, the Voices for Change Conference was launched and became the first program in our Educational Series. In a strategic alliance with Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) in Gardner, Massachusetts and with 14 Mental Health Stakeholder Organizations, the SHINE Initiative launched a day long, campus- wide Conference called Voices for Change. The conference was designed to identify and address the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness on the campus of MWCC and to make recommendations for additional support systems to be put into place to more fully assure the successful completion of a college degree for every student living with mental illness. Additionally, the goal is to create a mentally healthy campus for all students that will be evidenced by the equal treatment of all students. With four (4) modules/ focus groups operating simultaneously, each with its own Theme, the highly successful Conference yielded much information that will be presented to the Board of Trustees in 2011 for their consideration and implementation into their Strategic Plan for the Campus. We Need Your Support Please make a 3-5 year pledge to help support a SHINE Initiative's mission of shining a light on mental illness by donating any amount you can.