Innovation Grants
Thank you again to everyone who submitted a proposal to our Innovation Grants program. We received many excellent submissions from across the country and are happy to announce that the following six programs will receive funding:
HARTWICK COLLEGE
Fifty-Fifty: A Peer-Helping ServicePeer-helpers at Hartwick College assist those students dealing with low-level concerns so that professional counselors can work with students with more serious problems. Peer-helpers are available to meet in person with students seeking help, as well as correspond with them via telephone calls and emails. Funding will be provided to evaluate the program’s effectiveness.
LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY BROOKLYN CAMPUS
Academic Anxiety Screening as a Gateway to Undergraduate PsychopathologyThis comprehensive screening, diagnostic, and intervention program uses an online academic anxiety screening tool to identify students with additional mental health problems, such as depression. As a part of its follow-up with these students, LIU has developed a mindfulness meditation-based intervention, Mindfulness Meditation for Anxiety and Test Readiness (MIND/MATR). The Jed Foundation will provide funding to expand LIU’s current initiative and evaluate the MIND/MATR component of the program.
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY-ALTOONA
The PATH ProgramThe Program to Assess and Transform Health (PATH) originated at Penn State Altoona to address the holistic health and wellness needs of college students. This effective harm reduction intervention for student violators of the campus alcohol policy also allows for the identification and early treatment of students with depressive symptoms and high-risk indicators for suicidal behavior. Funding will be provided toward both the evaluation and expansion of the program, which will include first year students, Greeks organizations, and other student organizations.
PHILADELPHIA UNIVERSITY
“A Year in Their Life” Philadelphia Parent Calendar ProjectA twelve-month calendar for parents will be designed, printed, and made available in print and online. The calendar will educate parents about developmental issues, stressor points, and signs and symptoms of emotional disorders that students may face during college. To assess effectiveness, monthly data will be collected on parent interaction with the counseling center, as well as student use of counseling services. Funding will be provided for a limited run of calendars to be distributed at Summer Family Orientation.
STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation Training on Student Mental Health and Suicide RiskStony Brook University is conducting a comparative outcomes evaluation of mindfulness meditation training and individualized therapy. Their current program, “Mindfulness Meditation for Psychological, Emotional, and Academic Success,” teaches skills that practitioners believe reduce students’ depression, sense of isolation and risk for suicide, as well as enhancing their academic success. The Jed Foundation will provide funding toward the evaluation component of this program.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-TWIN CITIES
Mental Health and the College Student: An Online Workshop for ParentsThe Parents Program at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities currently offers a series of online educational videos on topics such as, “Distinguishing Depression from The Blues,” “Distinguishing Anxiety from The Butterflies,” and “How Parents Can Work with the U.” Because parents have requested more detailed information, funding will be provided for the development of videos covering suicide, cutting, Asperger’s syndrome, eating disorders, and other topics.
