The Student United Way at Northern Arizona University is back and making strides toward supporting youth mental health on campus.
With guidance from faculty advisor Amanda Black, the club is setting the foundation for impactful initiatives that benefit students and the local community.
The club had originally started in 2019, but its work was halted during the pandemic. Now a core group of seven students have revived the chapter and are starting recruiting efforts to re-establish the student chapter.
The chapter’s primary focus is youth mental health awareness, particularly for college students. Research shows that mental health struggles are a top reason students drop out of college, and the group is dedicated to providing resources and support.
The Student United Way has several initiatives in the works, including a “Rage Room” fundraiser, which will be a stress-relief event to be held around finals where students can safely break objects (donated by the university’s ceramics studio). Funds raised by the event will be used to support KinderCamp™, our signature early education program for students heading into kindergarten who have limited preschool experience.
The club is also developing a mental health resources brochure to be distributed across campus to help students recognize signs of stress and access support.
If you are an NAU student interested in mental health and community service, reach out to Amanda Black via email to learn more about the Student United Way at NAU.
