Active Minds is a national student-run mental health awareness organization that aims to increase students’ awareness and debunk the stigma surrounding mental health issues. They had their fourth annual Stigma Tree on Oct. 8 on Goodell Lawn.

Kate Leddy, a junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the president of Active Minds explains the Stigma Tree, and the importance of being open about mental health.

The tree invites passerby to share their expierence with mental illness, or provide encouraging statements to anyone who has had stigmatized mental health issues by writing a note and attaching it to the tree. The result is a tree decorated with advice, encouragement, kind words, and experiences to let people know that they are not alone.

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