UW-Whitewater
Hi, Welcome
Thank you for visiting the
UW-Whitewater I Am More webpage.
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Content warning: This campaign shares the real experience of UW-Whitewater students. Please note that the content of this webpage, and the gallery, may be sensitive to some individuals. Please visit the resources tab for information about mental health resources.
What is the Yellow Tulip Project?
The Yellow Tulip Project mission is to smash the stigma surrounding mental illness and to build a community of people who realize that hope happens when youth and community leaders work together. YTP hopes that someday mental illness will be as normal to talk about as any physical illness, and are fiercely dedicated to making this goal a reality. YTP accomplishes these goals through signature events such as the planting of Hope Gardens, I Am More: Facing Stigma photography exhibit, Storytellers/Speakers Program and much more. UW-W students can join by filling out an ambassador application here: theyellowtulipproject.org/students
UW-Whitewater
Active Minds
Active Minds student organization at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has the goal and mission of opening up the conversation about mental health and creating lasting change in the way mental health is talked about, cared for, and valued on our campus and beyond in order to end the stigma. Last year we found a wonderful non-profit called The Yellow Tulip Project. Their two signature events drew us in right away! In October 2020 we planted our Hope Gardens with a total of 3,000 tulips and now we are excited to be partnering with WSG to create our very own version of the I Am More: Facing Stigma photography exhibit. We cannot thank the brave participants enough. Opening up is never easy but because of YOU someone else feels less alone in this world. You are a light and your statements of vulnerability will create lasting change. Your voice is your power. Thank you for helping us reach our goals by participating and attending our events. Together we can normalize mental health, therapy, medication, self-care, and help-seeking. Warhawks deserve to feel safe, loved, supported, and heard.
Statements from the
UW-W
Creators
The Whitewater Student Government dedicated itself to representing all students, and recognizes the effects of mental health on our campus, students, and faculty every day. It is vital we stick together and stand strong to smash the stigmas surrounding mental health. Being a face and a name for the “I Am More” project allows for our UW-Whitewater community to normalize mental health and feel supported. We extend our sincere gratitude to the individuals who shared their experience for this gallery. We understand that sharing your experience and stories is not easy, Your vulnerability shows your strength, and and is of the utmost importance in smashing the sigma! For further resources and support regarding mental health please check out the University Health and Counseling Services at https://www.uww.edu/uhcs or call 262-472-1305.
UW-Whitewater
Whitewater Student Government
Stigma: stig·ma stiÉ¡mÉ™ / noun
A set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
I Am More: Facing Stigma serves as an attempt to erase the stigma that surrounds mental illness by expanding our perceptions and challenging expectations of what mental illness “looks like”. This project was inspired by McLean Hospital’s exhibit: Deconstructing Stigma which shared the same mission. According to the World Health Organization, one in five adults worldwide live with a mental illness in a given year, yet mental illness remains broadly misunderstood and greatly stigmatized. This stigma often prevents people who experience mental health challenges and their families from getting the support they need and deserve.
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The courageous models in this exhibit are more than their depression, their anxiety, their eating disorder, their post-traumatic stress disorder, or being a suicide survivor. While many are personally dealing with their own mental health challenges, others in the exhibit have been impacted by a family member or friend’s mental illness and want to speak out to help smash the stigma. They are musicians, artists, nature lovers, parents, and friends; and they are all Facing Stigma.
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This exhibit is part of the Yellow Tulip Project’s mission to eradicate stigma while also building strong, supportive and educated communities that support people struggling with mental illness. One day we hope that we can all speak openly about mental illness in the same way that we speak about physical illness. By normalizing conversations about mental illness, we want people to feel less alone and realize that there is always hope and help. Together we can gather, talk and erase the stigma of mental illness.
Statement from the Yellow Tulip Project