***Due to inclement weather expected late morning, today's Mindfest 2011 actvities have been canceled and will be rescheduled for a later date (TBA)...activites for the Great American Smoke Out will proceed as planned.***
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Nov. 11, 2011) – As part of Daytona State College’s Project SPEAK (Suicide Prevention Education And Knowledge) program, Mindfest 2011, along with the Great American Smoke Out, will be held Wednesday, Nov. 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the college’s Daytona Beach Campus.
From mental health and environmental concerns, to smoking cessation, general fitness and stress reduction, Mindfest 2011 and the Great American Smoke Out will raise awareness about important issues that affect college students. The event brings together many services available on campus and off campus; students are encouraged to participate, ask questions and get to know what resources are available.
Daytona State and Seminole State colleges, as well as the University of Central Florida’s Daytona Beach Campus are working in partnership under a federal Garrett Lee Smith College Campus Suicide Prevention Grant intended to help states, tribes, colleges and universities develop and implement strategies to reduce suicide among young people. Project SPEAK at Daytona State strives to reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues by informing and educating people. It attempts to normalize discussions concerning these issues especially with regard to suicide prevention. It also strives to support students who may be in crisis or to prevent crises by connecting them with like-minded people or supportive services both on and off campus.
During Mindfest 2011, student Todd Taylor will be recognized for his work as a volunteer peer ambassador for those who struggle with depression and thoughts of suicide. Selected as the inaugural recipient of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Suicide Prevention Award, Taylor often shares his experience of attempted suicide with the goal of preventing others from doing the same. In the summer of 2000, Taylor suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound that took out part of the frontal lobe of his brain before lodging in his brain. After many years of rehabilitation and therapy, Taylor is now a dedicated college student with the goal of becoming a psychiatric nurse so that he can help others who have been where he has been.
Taylor will be featured in a Project SPEAK video series being produced for broadcast on public television. Taylor’s central message is a call for people to reach out to those around them and show them they care. In the video, he relates his own story of how on the day he attempted suicide, he yearned for someone to stop and take notice. He shares how, if just one person had stopped and asked him if he was alright, it could have changed the course of events that took place that day. He challenges listeners that they all can make a difference in the lives of others by showing they care.
What: Mindfest 2011 and the Great American Smoke Out
When: Thursday, Nov. 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Daytona State College, 1200 W. Int’l. Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, between Bergengren Hall (bldg. 110) and ECHO Plaza
Presentation of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Suicide Prevention Award will take place at 1:30 p.m. in Bergengren Hall, rm. 112.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students; however, many colleges lack a specific suicide prevention initiative on their campuses. Fortunately, many of the keys to preventing suicides are found in strategies that raise awareness concerning suicide prevention, normalize discussions surrounding mental health issues, and reduce the stigma associated with seeking help.
For additional information about Project SPEAK, Mindfest 2011 and the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Suicide Prevent Award, please contact Tony Deobil, a coordinator for Project SPEAK, at (386) 506-4218.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Marketing & Communications, (386) 506-4588, marketing@DaytonaState.edu
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