GGUSD Students Create Videos for Choose Wellness Campaign Contest

Choose Wellness logo

Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) students from the district’s seven comprehensive high schools are participating in a Choose Wellness campaign video contest with nearly $5,000 in cash prizes going to participating clubs. Students were encouraged to create videos that communicate the need to make mental health and wellness a priority and to end the stigma associated with getting help during a mental health crisis.

The contest was open to all GGUSD high school clubs or programs to engage the student voice and perspective about the importance of mental health and wellness. The grant for the contest was funded by the Illumination Institute, a nonprofit organization that provides a variety of mental health professional development trainings and resources to the district.

“We are so pleased to see our students using their voice to promote mental health awareness,” said GGUSD Board of Education Trustee Walter Muneton. “As a district, we will continue to work alongside students to educate and equip our GGUSD community with resources that foster mental health and well-being, and we are grateful for the partnership of the Illumination Institution toward these efforts.”

The videos can be viewed on the district’s website and YouTube channel from May 6-20th.  The video receiving the most YouTube likes will win the top prize. High school clubs that produced the videos will receive the following grant-funded cash prizes: $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place, $500 for third place, and $150 for fourth through eight place. An honorable mention prize of $100 will go toward all high school clubs that submitted a video. 

GGUSD received 12 video submissions from a variety of high school clubs and the district’s Choose Wellness committee selected one from each high school to be featured on YouTube for the competition.

This video contest is one of many of GGUSD’s Choose Wellness initiatives. The campaign was launched in September 2019 after the Board of Education passed Resolution No. 11 reaffirming its commitment to mental health and wellness.

GGUSD launched its Choose Wellness Campaign that same month with the goal of increasing awareness of mental health and wellness, and equipping students, staff, and families with resources that address students’ motivation, socio-emotional well-being, and school climate and culture.

The campaign has also included a variety of initiatives including new wellness space on GGUSD school campuses, ongoing professional development, wellness events and workshops for staff and families, and more.