Introducing: Ask a Co-Designer
Knowing that elevating youth voice starts with giving young people the mic, we’re thrilled to introduce our new feature Ask a Co-Designer to highlight the real perspective of the incredible young people we’re honored to learn from through DoSomething Strategic projects. Our first co-designer is Madeleine Yu-Phelps. They ideated solutions for equitable access to student mental health resources during the youth hackathon we led in partnership with The Allstate Foundation, providing the foundation for DoSomething’s It’s (Not) All in Your Head campaign.
We asked Madeleine:
Why do you feel it's important for young people to be centrally involved in cultivating mental wellness within organizations and communities?
“It’s been said many times before, but youth are the future. We are the ones who are going to inherit the world we live in, and each generation faces its own challenges and successes that previous and future generations do not have the same relationship with.
Having youth centered in decision making is crucial because mental health is not experienced the same by everyone. Even within the same generation, social constructs such as gender, race, class, and disability are going to impact our own experiences of mental health, and the more voices we have addressing issues, the wider the impact of solving it will be.
Having adults and a group like DoSomething champion youth mental health and wellness from youth voices contributed to shaping my confidence and belief that when youth are centered in solving/working on issues that impact them directly, the impact of that work can be quite profound.”
What does it feel like for you when you're part of a community, whether that's in school, a workplace or a third space, that prioritizes and builds for mental wellness?
“It feels very grounding. Being in community spaces where everyone’s well-being is prioritized and cared for allows for stronger, healthier connections and increases happiness! Having spaces like these not only gives me something to look forward to, but also lets me recharge mentally and helps me have the capacity to fulfill my other priorities and responsibilities.
I believe that connection, art, and community are incredibly important to mental wellbeing, so I do my best to spend time outside, create, and be with my friends whenever possible. Even with busy schedules or living in different states, text check-ins, video calls, and letting someone know when you are thinking about them can go a long way.”
Madeleine Yu-Phelps (they/them) is an NYC-based playwright who recently graduated from Pace University with a degree in Writing for Diversity and Equity in Theater and Media and minors in East Asian Studies and Language and Linguistics. They are incredibly passionate about increasing accessibility in theater and disability visibility.