Engaging teens—and intentionally incorporating mental health support while doing so—is a growing focus for Ys across the state. Although youth development is one of the pillars of our work and our Ys employ thousands of teens statewide, for many Ys, programming for teens was new with the launch of our statewide grant-funded teen mental health work last year.
The Tom A. Finch YMCA Leaders Club has taken teen mental health outreach into their own hands—literally. As part of a new marketing campaign the Alliance is launching to drive traffic to the Teen Mental health Resource Hub, the Leaders Club is painting QR code stencils with the campaign’s new tagline – FEEL IT. FACE IT. TOGETHER. – around their Y in Thomasville.
The teens are strategically painting the QR code, which links to the Resource Hub, on sidewalks, basketball courts, playgrounds, shelters, and near entrances and exits at the Y. They are also reaching out to local schools, parks, and popular teen hangouts like the city pool to explore the option of painting the QR codes in those locations to extend the campaign's reach.
This grassroots effort is part of a broader marketing campaign the Alliance is launching to support teen mental health. In May, the Teen Mental Health Resource Hub will debut a “facelift” featuring interactive tools intended to engage them deeply while also providing them with information and resources to support their mental well-being. Aimed at being more appealing to teens, the hub will be supported by a targeted marketing campaign using YouTube, Snapchat, Google Ad Grants, email outreach, and billboards. Ys can also utilize grant dollars to participate in and amplify these efforts locally.
By combining digital strategy with creative on-the-ground action—like the QR code campaign—we're finding new ways to meet teens where they are and help them thrive. The Alliance provided each association with the QR code stencils and additional marketing and engagement tools last month at our annual conference, Alliance’s Teen Wellness Summit: Advancing Mental Health Together. More than 50 Y leaders came together in Greensboro to exchange insights, strategies and wins around this shared work. Keep an eye out for the marketing efforts in your community!
April 9, 2025