Introduction
Remember in 2014 when the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge rose to popularity? Everyone from LeBron to Obama contributed to this cause, raising awareness for a disease that has affected many. Now 11 years later, the ice bucket challenge is back but with a new cause behind it.
What is the “Speak Your MIND Challenge?
Created in March 2025, University of South Carolina’s Mental Illness Needs Discussion club (MIND) collaborated with the Active Minds organization. For context, the Active Minds organization is a national leader in young adult mental health advocacy as well as suicide prevention. They focus on highlighting the voices of young people who have been affected by mental health illnesses. Together, they made the #SpeakYourMIND challenge, with the goal of making mental health a priority by breaking the stigma around it. In addition, they also plan to support suicide prevention efforts, promote daily mindfulness and open conversations about mental health, raise funds for the Active Minds Organization, and build a supportive community for people to talk about mental health.
###How to Participate
Recently on Instagram or other social media platforms, you probably have been seeing posts of people dumping buckets of ice on their head and then nominating other people to do the same. This is all to raise awareness for mental health and to break the stigma surrounding it. If you want to participate, here are the following instructions:
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Participate: Record yourself doing the ice bucket challenge
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Nominate Friends: Tag and nominate 2-5 people to join in and spread awareness. Try to get creative!
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Share: Post you video using the hashtag #SpeakYourMIND and tag @uscmind For those who don’t have social media or do not feel like participating in the challenge, you can donate to their page in order to support Active Mind’s efforts. They’ve currently raised $31,000 with a goal of $50,000 so make sure to help out!
Conclusion
In all, whether you contribute to the MIND club and the Active Minds Organization by the ice bucket challenge or via donation, we can all work together to make mental health a priority and promote a more mindful, compassionate world.