Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and Middle and High School Principals:

Supporting the Directing Change Program and Film Contest

The California Department of Education is pleased to continue our support for the annual Directing Change Program and Film Contest. This event is sponsored by Each Mind Matters: California’s Mental Health Movement and the California Mental Health Services Authority as part of a collaborative statewide effort to prevent suicide, reduce stigma and discrimination related to mental illness, and promote the mental health and wellness of students.

This statewide program invites California middle and high school students to create a 60-second film about suicide prevention, mental health, and related cultural perspectives. The deadline for film submission is March 1, 2020. For information about contest categories, rules, eligibility, and prizes, please visit the Directing Change website at https://www.directingchangeca.org/.

I encourage all school staff to promote this contest among their students. We are all committed to preserving the health, safety, and well-being of our students. To achieve this, mental health and suicide prevention must be a top priority in our schools. By working together and incorporating the student perspective in this campaign, we will increase awareness of the mental health issues our students face and reduce youth suicide.

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact Stan Collins, Program Coordinator, Directing Change Program by email at Stan@SuicideIsPreventable.org or Monica Nepomuceno, Education Programs Consultant, School Health and Safety Office, by phone at 916-323-2212 or by email at mnepomuceno@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond

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2019-06307