Our Impact
A summary on My Good Brain’s community impact in Year Three
2023: A Year of Collaborations & Creativity
What an incredible journey 2023 has been for us! This year has seen tremendous growth and progress for My Good Brain (MGB), particularly within the Fremont community. Let's take a moment to reflect on our achievements and dive into the specifics of what made 2023 such a remarkable year for MGB!
2023 Highlights
Collaboration with Makedo: Engaging in social-emotional learning arts & crafts activities.
Expansion of Volunteer Network: Welcoming new volunteers from the Fremont community and beyond.
Partnership with Starbucks NorCal Disability Advocacy Network: Joining forces to advocate for disability rights.
Collaboration with Fremont Main Library: Hosting monthly Art & Mental Wellness Workshops.
Successful Art Materials Donation Drive: Launching on Giving Tuesday to support our initiatives.
Launch of MGB Teen Zines and Relaunch of Kids At Heart Video Series: Expanding our creative platforms.
Introduction of Artist-In-Residence Theresa Chung: Enriching our artistic endeavors.
Collaboration with JV Agency and LA-based musicians: Amplifying our outreach efforts.
Featured Interview with KCBS: Sharing our mission and impact with a wider audience.
MGB Teen Blog Corner Launch: Empowering youth voices and perspectives.
Recipient of the 2023 ARTSFUND Grant and Community Grant from Star 1 Credit Union: Recognizing our contributions to the community.
Art & wellness workshops in elementary schools: Nurturing creativity and mental well-being among young learners.
Numerous arts & craft booth events across the Bay Area: Engaging with diverse communities.
Youth Art Month Online Fundraiser event and Sunday Art Club on YouTube launch: Fostering creativity and community spirit through virtual platforms.
Numbers At A Glance
704 Tool Kits delivered
355 children and families attended our in-person events
20 in-person events
5 new collaborations with small businesses and organizations
Over 1000 Tool Kits donated to Bay Area students since MGB started in February 2021
Tool Kits Donated
Collaboration with JV Agency & artists Andre Henry, Francisco Martin, and Nikita Lev
On May 18th, 2023, My Good Brain and partners of MTV Entertainment Group came together to celebrate the power of an hour this Mental Health Action Day.
Our mission? To show young people and their families that it’s always possible to make time for our mental health.
In this video with artists Francisco Martin and Andre Henry, they sit down to talk to us about how they’ve used music to guide and influence their mental health journey. From daily bouts of anxiety to loneliness and spells of depression, the artists share the importance of addressing mental health symptoms and seeking out support.
Collaboration with Makedo for social-emotional learning arts & crafts activities
During Summer 2023, My Good Brain (MGB) collaborated with Makedo, a toy company creating cardboard construction tools based in Australia, to create a series of social-emotional learning art activities. This collaboration was MGB’s way of continuing down the path towards sustainability in art-making, and what a better way than to upcycle some used, plentiful cardboard that was originally used as packaging material for many of our daily consumer goods. Our main goal was to use Makedo products to show it can benefit children’s mental wellness, as we help create mental health-themed approaches to using their tools.
Through the MGB x Makedo collaboration, we’ve created a brand new collection of art-based social-emotional health activities using the Makedo tools! Our creative team of volunteers came up with a series of six art activities designed to support social-emotional learning using recycled cardboard!
Partnership with Starbucks NorCal Disability Advocacy Network
In Fall 2023, MGB partnered with the Starbucks Northern California Disability Advocacy Network (DAN) to strengthen our Tool Kit Program. We collaborated with the Starbucks team at Hayward’s Industrial and Highway 92 branch to pack all our tool kits! It was our most successful packing day yet — as you might have guessed, the extra hands meant our tool kits were ready to go in record time. A big thank you to Starbucks for sharing your space for our tool kit assembly!
Our Accomplishments
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In 2023, we donated 704 My Good Brain Tool Kits! Our Tool Kit Program expanded its reach towards more local public elementary schools and other public youth organizations in the Oakland, Hayward, Union City, and Fremont areas.
MGB also began to offer lunchtime Art & Mental Wellness Workshops hosted in local elementary and high schools in Fremont.
We reached over 180 students during these in-person school workshops!
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MGB continued to host community are activity booths and in-person events. We participated in the Fremont Chamber of Commerce’s Fremont Street Eats & other family events in the Bay Area.
-MGB @ 4th Street Maker’s Row - 4/22
-HUSD 7th Annual Celebrating Art in Our Schools and in our Community - 4/29
-MGB Booth @ Fremont Street Eats (x4) May to Aug
-MGB Summer Art x Wellness Workshops @ Fremont Main Library (x3) July-Aug
-MGB x Makedo @ Berkeley Fourth Street Makers Row! 8/26
-MGB Arts & Crafts Booth @ Mission Bay 10/7
-MGB Workshops @ Fremont Main Library 11/8
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Building off our previous year, our Research & Education volunteers have diligently created more infographics, blogs, and resource pages.
Our new MGB Volunteers have added tons of new material in our Teen Self-Help resource page.
MGB also participated in several back-to-school events in local elementary schools, sharing about our work with parents and students.
We also created an online hub for our Tool Kit Program school partners to gain access to our art activity booklets for unlimited use, expanding the reach and impact of our previous art activities.
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We recognize the importance of highlighting adult role models in our local community who take care of their mental health by doing things they love—be it art, play, hobbies, or sports. On May 18, 2023 for Mental Health Action Day, we invited individuals of all ages to spend one hour for mental wellness by taking a break and listening to some music!
MGB featured three artists—Andre Henry, Francisco Martin, and Nikita Lev—who promote self-care and mental wellness through their music.
Andre Henry shared a special video On Kindness for Azevada Elementary school students, which inspired them to create a week-long Kindness Challenge for their classrooms.
Lastly, MGB also relaunched the Kids At Heart video series with the help of our new MGB Volunteer, Trisha Sethuraman!
Financials
MGB has maintained a steady quarterly schedule of fundraising, ensuring the continuity of our programs while keeping expenses low. By leveraging community collaborations and creative resource management strategies, we have optimized our operational efficiency. Our fundraising efforts in 2023, including innovative events like the Youth Art Month online fundraiser and partnerships with local businesses for the Art Materials Donation Drive, have been instrumental in sustaining our mission.
Notably, we also received substantial community grants and donations from 4imprint, Blick Art Materials, FLAX Art & Design, Dale Hardware, Modern Parenting Solutions, Star 1 Credit Union and the Alameda County Arts Commission. We are so grateful for their support and hope to continue the work that we have started!
Our Volunteers
Our volunteers are the backbone of MGB, driving our initiatives forward with their passion and dedication. Their invaluable contributions have been pivotal to our success in promoting youth mental health and wellness through art in the Bay Area.
Increase funding for Tool Kit Program expansion
Secure more donors and sponsorships
Launch My Good Brain Podcast, "My Good Mind"
Establish Teen Mindfulness Group
Collaborate with local organizations and businesses
Develop revenue streams through MGB online shop
Expand paid workshop offerings
Obtain sponsorship for Sunday Art Club videos
As we look ahead to 2024, we are committed to building upon our achievements and advancing our mission of promoting mental wellness through art. With the continued support of our volunteers, donors, and community partners, we are confident in our ability to create a brighter future for youth mental health in the Bay Area.
We hope you continue to follow along with us on our journey to bridging psychology and art for children’s mental wellness. The evolution of My Good Brain continues!
