Spreading Support: World Teen Mental Wellness Day

Teen mental health is in crisis, with roughly 50% of chronic mental illnesses starting by age 14, including high rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide risk among adolescents. These mental health issues often compounded by social media, academic pressure, and reduced independence. About 22% of teens have seriously considered attempting suicide, approximately 9.5% of teens experience anxiety affecting daily function, ADHD affects nearly 10% of kids ages 3-17 and around 4.5% of teens live with depression. Many times teen mental health issues are overlooked because it is easier to believe that because of their young age it is not prevalent. However, these issues are heavily experienced by teens and they deserve to feel support around them. The Project of a Smile will travel to potential High Schools and/or Middle Schools in Missoula, Montana to help provide support on World Teen Mental Wellness Day (March 2, 2026).

The Importance of Support to Teens

Showing support for teens is essential for several reasons:

• Emotional Regulation & Mental Health: Adolescence is a high-stress period in every persons life, when teens feel emotional support around them it helps them manage that stress and their emotions. Helping to reduce the likelihood of anxiety and depression.

• Combating Isolation: Many teens report high levels of isolation and a feeling of loneliness. Teens feeing active supports helps them to feel that sense of understanding and security around them, combating the heightened amount of stress teens feel.

• Validation of Feelings: By helping teens feel support of their feedings rather than just "drama" you help teens develop better coping strategies for many mental illnesses.

  
  

The Steps and Process of This Event

This event will consist of traveling around the city of Missoula with prepared support bags, then placing them around the selected schools. The preparation will involve these listed actions:

1. Planning and Getting Approval

   The first step will be to reach out to middle and high schools around the city, this allows us to get permissions and approval from schools. Then we will plan out a detailed agenda and map for the day. This will ensure that we stick to places that we have previous approval from. This step is also essential before the others to make sure that there is the correct number of support bags created.

   
   

2. Support Bag-Decisions

   Now that a plan for where is set the next step is to make decisions on the support bags contents. Research will be conducted on what makes teens feel supported and what teens would like to see in these bags. Then decisions will be set as to what will be handed out in the action step.

   
   

3. Support Bag-Creation  

   The final step of of this prosses before the action step is to create the support bags. That may consist of creating any handmade objects or shopping for other contents.

   
   

4. Action

   The final step in this prosses is competed on the designated world day, March 2. The completed bags will be set around the schools stated on the pre-planned map. This step is the most influential and is the day that The Project of a Smile exercise its mission.

A representation of a normal teen struggling with mental health.

Credit: Clearfork Academy

The Project of a Smile's Goal Through This Event

The Project of a Smile wants to help the community around the city of Missoula, providing awareness, support, kindness, and smiles. Through this event we hope to focus on support, we hope that when teens see these bags, see someone they don't know recognizing and validating them, they feel the support from The Project of a Smile and we can give them a smile in a time of need.

How You Can Help

The Project of a Smile is always looking for help and support from the community. Here are some ways you can help:

1. Spread the Word and Follow Us on Social Media

   The best way to support our efforts is to just keep talking. Tell people about The Project of a Smile and our mission. We want to help as many people as we can, hoping to keeps spreading smiles. You can also follow us on social media, including Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook, all under variations of the user name @TheProjectofaSmile. Links to our Social Media are also under the connection tab on our website.

   
   

2. Stay Tuned on Upcoming Events

   The Project of a Smile does a minimum of 15 events a year, all of which will be regularly communicated on our website. Many events will have the opportunity to help with steps in the prosses, such as the action step and accepting donations.

   
   

3. Give Us Input

   This project is 100% for the community, so we would love your input. Feel encouraged to find our content tab and reach out to us anyway easiest for you. Give us helpful input on our events, our missions or on our impact on the community.

   
   

Conclusion

The Project of a Smile was created and now runs on the hope that even just one person feels support, recognition, kindness or gains a smile. You helping us by reading this, following us on social media, spreading the word, donating or giving us input helps us to continue on that mission. So, from The Project of a Smile, thank you!