Thanks to the hard work of ISM advocate and ambassador Amy Copeland, Florida State College at Jacksonville has decided to host I Still Matter’s multi-media art installation, “Inside Out“. It will be held in the Art Gallery located in their North Campus November 5-December 4. We hope you will plan to join us for our opening on November 5th (Thursday evening) from 5-7 PM. This is fantastic news for several reasons.

1. There is a real concern about college students and mental health. Here are some stats according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):

• Almost 73 percent of students living with a mental health condition experienced a mental health crisis on campus. Yet, 34.2 percent reported that their college did not know about their crisis.
• 75 percent of lifetime cases of mental health conditions begin by age 24.
• One in four young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have a diagnosable mental illness. More than 25 percent of college students have been diagnosed or treated by a professional for a mental health condition within the past year.
• More than 80 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year and 45 percent have felt things were hopeless
• 64 percent of young adults who are no longer in college are not attending college because of a mental health related reason. Depression, bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder are the primary diagnoses of these young adults.

This is serious stuff and these are just a handful of statistics. Suicide is a real concern for college students and Suicide.org reports it to be the second leading cause of death among college students.

2. It feels good to know that FSCJ truly cares about its students! FSCJ is leading the way in Jacksonville by supporting and hosting our project. We hope students will be encouraged by this display and are able to learn more about local mental health resources. There will be a Reflection Area in the gallery near the installation for students to create their own piece of artwork to help complete an FSCJ Community Puzzle.

3. This also means we have a new call to artists! After speaking with FSCJ gallery director, Lynn Lewis, we decided to encourage FSCJ staff, students and alumni to create a piece of art to contribute to “Inside Out”. If you are interested, or know someone who may be, please email Carmen at [email protected] or contact us on our Facebook page.

“I decided to participate because, expressing what I have been through is important. I have benefitted by “coming out” because it got me the treatment I needed to be healthy and to understand my own emotions. Discussing mental illness and being open about it will break the stigma, and will help others get treatment.” ~ Meri, 16

P.S.! Please don’t forget I Still Matter has been chosen as the recipient of funds that are being raised by Thrill the World Jacksonville! Thrill the World will be dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller in October. All donations collected will be given to ISM! Please take a moment to donate and encourage the dancers!