Join us for a warm and welcoming pre-conference dinner where we’ll gather to explore meaningful conversations around mental health, self-care, resilience, and the power of connection. This evening offers a space to reflect, share, and support one another. Let’s build a stronger, more compassionate community—together.

Meet and connect with community organizations at our Mental Health Resource Fair running from 10 am to 1 pm during the conference.

List of organizations attending to follow.

The Ripple Effect: Healing Ourselves, Strengthening our Communities

Esabella Bonner is a social entrepreneur, visionary, and award-winning changemaker/activist working to help bridge the Santa Cruz community. In 2020, Bella followed her gut and organized one of the largest social protests that Santa Cruz County has ever seen with over 5,000 people in attendance. While this was the first protest she organized, it was a great success and opened up a world of movement work to her. She then organized the community to make space for black and brown people at various paddleouts as a part of protests on the water in Santa Cruz to support BLM. This led Bella to create Black Surf Santa Cruz where she is the founder and executive director for the award-winning organization, which aims to promote physical, spiritual, and communal wellness and healing through surfing, recreation, education, and advocacy for our local community.

Speaker:

Bella Bonner | Black Surf Santa Cruz

Lunch hour will be an opportunity for conference attendees to explore local mental health resources, engage in different activities and connect with each other.

Navigating Imposter Syndrome in Professional Spaces

Many circumstances community college students face may make them vulnerable to experiencing imposter syndrome as they step into leadership. In this session, learn about the power of your identity and your role as a bearer of stories in your advocacy efforts. Discover how to turn your “vulnerabilities” into leadership strengths through storytelling, and learn ways to find community and feel empowered by your identity!

Learning Objectives:

Imposter syndrome often impedes students from reaching their fullest leadership potential by taking advantage of perceived inadequacies and perpetuating the false narrative that they don’t belong. Learn how to transform your self-image through a community-based lens as a bearer of stories and discover how to harness the power that your unique identity brings to the table. This empowering session will also show you how to establish a supportive community in your advocacy efforts to help mitigate the impacts of imposter syndrome and prevent burnout.

Length:

50 min

Speaker:

Anna Mathews | Faculty Association of California Community Colleges

A.S.K. (Acknowledge, Support, Keep-in-Touch)

Most young people turn to a friend first when they’re struggling, but nearly 70% of them say they don’t know what to do or say to help. That’s why SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios and Active Minds teamed up to create A.S.K. — Acknowledge, Support, Keep-in-Touch. Like “stop, drop and roll,” it’s an easy way to remember what to do when supporting the people in your life. The best way to help is to A.S.K.

Learning Objectives:

Students will learn how to use A.S.K. in real life senarios through skits and role play offered by the leaders of the Active Minds Club and volunteers. They will leave the workshop with tools on how to help a friend who may be struggling with their mental health as well as resources and organizations they can refer to for additional support should they or a friend need more support.

Length:

25 min

Speakers:

Active Minds Club Leadership Team

Food and Mood

I will offer a talk with slides on two aspects of how food affects mood. We will review how the gastrointestinal system (the microbiome) is altered by our diets and how these alterations might impact mood, energy, immune function, and possibly learning ability. There will be a review of the Gut-Brain microbiota axis. We will also review how an imbalance in blood sugar affects anxiety and depression (i.e., low blood sugar).

Learning Objectives:

1) Define the connection between certain foods and gut health.
2) Define the effects of low blood sugar on anxiety and depression.
3) Define the optimal diet to support Mood.

Length:

20 min

Speakers:

Leah Hopkins, MS, RDN | The Lotus Collaborative

But I Don't Have Time for Self Care!: Self-compassion as a Wellbeing Tool

Have you been told to “practice self-care,” but you don’t have time or energy? Do you practice self-care but find that you’re always stressed? This session will talk about a tool to add your wellbeing tool kit, self-compassion! Come learn how to practice self-compassion skills and how to reduce stress.

Learning Objectives:

1) Students will learn why the self-care they are practicing isn’t reducing their stress or how they can relieve stress if they don't have time to practice self-care.
2) Students will learn the 3 elements of self-compassion and understand how they can help alleviate stress and anxiety.
3) Students will understand how to apply the elements of self-compassion to every situation in their lives, from cringe moments to not getting a job offer.

Length:

50 min

Speakers:

Emily Giovanelli | UC Santa Cruz

Ending the Silence: Stories of Hope & Accessing Peer Support

Join NAMI Santa Cruz County for a chance to hear directly from Peers and family members about their stories of navigating recovery, ask them questions about their mental health journeys, and learn about the NAMI services that are available to you and your loved ones. NAMI Santa Cruz offers free, drop-in friendly, peer-led support in English and Spanish for people living with mental health conditions and their families. From support groups to HelpLines and social events, NAMI offers a variety of ways to connect with people who truly understand what it means to be affected by mental health!

Learning Objectives:

1) Reduce the stigma associated with mental health by hearing the stories of people who live with, or support someone who lives with, mental health challenges.
2) Increase awareness of free, culturally competent resources for individuals and families affected by mental health conditions.
3) Cultivate hope that recovery is possible, and that people who live with mental illness can lead full and happy lives.

Length:

50 min

Speakers:

NAMI Santa Cruz County