Rori Rounds hopes her final project at the Marblehead Community Charter Public School will have a real impact on breaking down stigmas around mental health so people will feel more comfortable seeking help.
“I’ve always thought that mental health is important,” Rounds said. “I hope to spread awareness.”
Charter students work on community service learning projects throughout the year.
“The core of the program is to identify a problem, research the problem and its root cause, set a goal and create an impact plan,” explained Rounds’ teacher Nick Santoro.
Rounds identified stigma around mental health as a problem she wanted to address. She decided to create a public awareness campaign called “Step on Stigma.” It includes a website (steponstigma-org.weebly.com/) that defines and explores what stigma is and how it does harm.
“Some common stigmas are that people struggling with their mental health are less than, or won’t go far in life,” Rounds explained. She said other stigmas include that people with mental health issues are faking or seeking attention.
Rounds said most people who perpetuate stigmas are not doing it out of malice.
“People may be misinformed and uneducated about mental health,” Rounds said. “It may be because of their cultural or religious beliefs.”
Rounds presented her website project to her peers at Charter on June 6. She plans to launch a social media campaign sharing the website and encouraging people to “step on stigma” to make the world a safer, more welcoming place.
“Even if I help just one person, that’s one more person who is being helped,” she said.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.