My name is Kate Fitzsimmons and I am interning with the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont. I would like to reach out to local colleges and universities about a unique volunteering opportunity available for students. NAMI Vermont is in the process of enacting a new program: Ending the Silence. The goal of this program is to create a generation of students who are well-positioned to end the silence and stigma surrounding mental illness.

Ending the Silence is a free, 50 minute presentation designed to give students an opportunity to learn about mental illness through an informative Power Point and short videos. Through the presentation, students learn symptoms and indicators of mental illness, and are given ideas about how to help themselves, friends, or family members who may be in need of support. Additionally, the presentation includes personal testimony from a young adult living with a mental illness about his/her journey to recovery.

We are looking for college aged students who would be willing to give a brief 5 to 10 minute supplemental presentation about their story of recovery from a mental health condition. This position would build leadership and public speaking skills, as well as educate the upcoming generation on mental health conditions. It is my hope that your campus organization will be able to make this opportunity known to its students. Please let anyone interested know that they can learn more by contacting NAMI Vermont at program@namivt.org or 800-639-6480 or by contacting me personally at kfitzsimmons@namivt.org. Also please feel free to let me know of any other campus organizations that may have a special interest in this opportunity.

Thank you,

Kate