Jack.org and Born This Way Foundation Celebrate Be There Certificate During Lady Gaga's The Chromatica Ball Summer Stadium Tour Stop in Toronto
August 08 2022 - 7:18AM
Toronto, Ontario (August 8, 2022) — Jack.org and Born This Way
Foundation met in Toronto to celebrate the Be There Certificate's
positive impact on youth mental health since its launch in early
March of this year. The meeting brought together staff and youth
from both organizations, including a pledge from Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Canada and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to
support the Be There Certificate and promotion of the certificate
at Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Ball Summer Stadium tour stop in Toronto.
The Be There Certificate is a free, self-paced, interactive
online mental health course designed to increase mental health
literacy and provide youth with the knowledge, skills, and
confidence needed to safely support anyone who may be struggling
with their mental health. Since its launch, over 8,000 people have
completed the Be There Certificate, available globally in English,
French, and Spanish.
Jack.org, a Canadian charity supporting education and action for
youth mental health, and Born This Way Foundation, a nonprofit
dedicated to supporting youth mental health and working with young
people to build a kinder, braver world, collaborated to create the
Be There Certificate. The goal of the Be There Certificate is to
connect young people with a simple, actionable framework, teaching
them how to recognize when someone might be struggling, understand
their role in supporting that person, and learn how to connect that
person to the help they need and deserve.
“Young people want to be there for their own and their peers’
mental health. Through the Be There Certificate, we have an
opportunity to connect young people with free, accessible mental
health resources and the tools to support themselves and each
other,” said Cynthia Germanotta, Co-Founder and President of
Born This Way Foundation. “The Be There Certificate provides a
unique opportunity to encourage comprehensive, inclusive, and kind
mental health support.”
As an example of the Be There Certificate’s ongoing success, the
preeminent youth mentorship organizations, Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Canada and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, are partnering
with Jack.org and Born This Way Foundation to introduce the Be
There Certificate to more than 10,000 people throughout their
networks and are pledging their local agencies to complete the
certificate.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada proudly supports the Be
There Certificate. We know that young people need access to a web
of supportive individuals who are prepared and ready to support
their unique needs, like facing mental health adversities. That’s
why we commit to challenging our Big Brothers Big Sisters
colleagues across Canada to earn their Be There Certificate,” said
W. Matthew Chater, President and CEO of Brothers Big Sisters of
Canada.
"Big Brothers Big Sisters is the leading organization
championing mentorship experiences for young people across the
country and the right leader to help provide youth with the
relationship supports to address the mental health crisis in our
nation," said Julie Novak, Chief Youth Protection Officer, Big
Brothers Big Sisters of America. "Our commitment to justice,
equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) is an integral part of Big
Brothers Big Sisters’ values and mission. We strive to empower the
full potential that is within all of us by ensuring that all voices
and perspectives are heard, honored and supported. We are proud to
partner with Jack.org and Born This Way Foundation to bring the Be
There Certificate program to our network.”
Throughout their collaboration, Jack.org and Born This Way
Foundation have fostered a close working relationship with one
goal: to uplift youth and connect them to the help they need.
Following a survey, those who have taken the course have said that
the Be There Certificate “was an easy-to-use, straightforward and
interactive way to further strengthen the ways I can be there for
my loved ones” and 98% of learners feel better able to safely
support someone who is struggling with their mental health.
“We are thrilled to see the growing momentum around the Be There
Certificate. Five short months from launch and already thousands of
people are better equipped to support their young peers, friends,
and loved ones experiencing mental health struggles. We’re proud to
be working with these outstanding partners to rapidly spread
awareness and uptake of this freely accessible and engaging
resource across Canada, the US, and beyond,” said Shane Green,
VP Programs at Jack.org.
To learn how to pledge with your organization, contact
bethere@jack.org.
To learn more about the Be There Certificate, visit
BeThereCertificate.org.
The Be There Certificate is funded in part by RBC Future Launch
and other generous partners who supported the development of the Be
There program through their partnership with Jack.org.
For media inquiries
Born This Way Foundation DKC
BTWF@dkcnews.com
Jack.org
Nimanthie Ariyasinghe
media@jack.org
###
About Jack.org
Jack.org is Canada’s only charity training and empowering young
leaders to revolutionize mental health in every province and
territory. Through our programs young people identify and dismantle
barriers to positive mental health in their communities and are
able to access mental health resources to educate themselves. We
envision a world where all young people understand how to take care
of their own mental health and look out for each other. A world
without shame, where everyone gets the support they deserve.
About Born This Way Foundation
Born This Way Foundation, co-founded and led by Lady Gaga and
her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, supports the mental health of young
people and works with them to build a kinder and braver world.
Through high-impact programming, youth-led conversations, and
strategic, cross-sectoral partnerships, the Foundation aims to make
kindness cool, validate the emotions of young people, and eliminate
the stigma surrounding mental health. Learn how the Foundation
encourages people to practice kindness toward themselves and their
communities through its website bornthisway.foundation and its
storytelling platform Channel Kindness at channelkindness.org.
- Jack.org and Born This Way Foundation met in Toronto to
celebrate the Be There Certificate's positive impact on youth
mental health
Nimanthie Ariyasinghe
Jack.org
416-425-2494
nimanthie@jack.org