Invent2Prevent Winners

Penn Manor High School, Millersville, PA

The team’s Friday Fun project seeks to create positive emotions among students and teachers to reduce stress and social isolation. High school students and teachers engaged in prosocial activities, like group games, friendship-making bracelets, door-decorating, “Fast Friends” BINGO, and pet-therapy. The project is based on the broaden and build theory in positive psychology, which suggests that when people enjoy themselves, they tend to feel positive emotions, which can increase their well-being and resilience. Through these activities, the team seeks to create connections and a sense of community—protective factors that can decrease the likelihood of violence. They hope to use this as an opportunity to increase awareness of mental health and the importance of checking-in on peers.

1st place, Spring 2024 Competition

Learn About Friday Fun

Englewood S.T.E.M. High School, Chicago, IL

The team created Mind Over Mad-Her as an anti-violence initiative to reduce female-on-female bullying in high school. It seeks to bring young women together by identifying and celebrating their commonalities and differences. The team made zero-cost group therapy available to both victims and perpetrators of female bullying. This therapy supports the development of positive coping skills and empathy that offset negative feelings. The project supports young women to recognize how traumatic experiences can subconsciously influence the way they handled anxiety and insecurity.

3rd place, Spring 2024 Competition

MIND SPACE, Iowa State University. This initiative creates a connected, supportive community where bystanders and community members are empowered to seek, direct, and assist those needing mental health attention. MIND SPACE aims to reduce the mental health stigma in academic settings and prevent individuals from radicalizing to violence, specifically school shootings. The initiative ensures bystanders feel confident in aiding those with mental health issues, while helping reduce social withdrawal from people experiencing mental health concerns.

Still We R.O.S.E., Xavier University of Louisiana. This initiative emboldens students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to stand up against the resurgence of antisemitism in the United States, including in the African American community. Generation Z students, while digitally savvy due to young exposure to the internet, may not have the tools to distinguish between truth and conspiracies online. Still We R.O.S.E. confronts factually incorrect and dangerous narratives spread in the African American community about Jewish Americans.

Lumi Media Consulting, Duke University. Lumi Media Consulting works to counter the spread of violent extremist ideologies by remodeling anti-hate organizations’ social media presences to better reach their desired audiences, resulting in higher levels of engagement with their sites and increased awareness of resources offered. Lumi Media Consulting provides social media, logo design, video editing and advertising services. 

D.U.C.C., American University. Developing and Using Critical Comprehension (D.U.C.C.) is an educational tool for countering inaccurate information that threatens our security through critical comprehension skills. The D.U.C.C. program cultivates digital literacy among at-risk youth through a comprehensive approach making them less vulnerable and less likely to engage with extremist content online. The D.U.C.C. program consists of online resources and tools equipping students with the critical thinking and emotional intelligence skills needed to identify dangerous behaviors online. The program can be accessed by students, parents, and teachers through an online hub.

Caliber Gaming Alliance, Missouri State University. Caliber Gaming Alliance leverages gaming to promote real-life connections among community members in a hate-free environment to reduce risk factors and susceptibility to radicalization among veterans and at-risk youth. Caliber’s game nights and discord server offers members an opportunity to connect, while the mentorship program gives veterans opportunities to educate members on how to protect themselves online through three key pillars: online safety, identifying hate speech, and promoting connections through gaming.

Mission in Transition, The Citadel Graduate College. Mission in Transition was created from the merging together of two major issues affecting our society: the impacts of isolationism on the human psyche and the inadequate resources for service members transitioning from active-duty status to civilian life. To counter the isolationism that service members may feel after leaving this life, Mission in Transition serves as the first barrier of protection against veteran recruitment into targeted violence and terrorism groups by helping them find a sense of purpose and ultimately taking on their next mission in life.

Peer No Pressure, North Panola Career and Technical Center. This movement is dedicated to flipping the script on bullying and peer pressure through peer-led discussions, engaging skits, and a mentorship program. This initiative is designed to transform the school environment into a place of expression, support, and community connectedness. Peer No Pressure aims to rewrite the narrative on peer pressure and bullying, while cultivating an environment where peer voices matter and produce change. 

R.E.S.P.E.C.T., Glassboro High School. Reach Every Student Providing Encouraging Caring Thoughts (R.E.S.P.E.C.T.) is an initiative to resolve social isolation in student populations at their school. R.E.S.P.E.C.T. involves a mentorship program that connects incoming freshmen or underclassmen with upperclassman mentors to effectively introduce and familiarize students with the school and environment. This program helps underclassmen assimilate into the student population, helping to reduce the possibility of student isolation. Mentors serve as a source of information, familiar face, or role model. Mentors introduce their mentees to the high school faculty and staff during freshman orientation and show them around the building. Mentors provide a welcoming feeling to the incoming underclassmen and encourage them to get involved in school activities, clubs, or sports.

Let's Talk, Louisiana Youth Advisory Council. Let’s Talk is an interactive card game for 4th and 5th graders to foster more inclusive elementary classrooms throughout the state of Louisiana. By facilitating positive conversations, the game promotes inclusivity and relationship building. In turn, participants are equipped to eradicate social isolation and bullying. 

High Five REACT, Marysville High School. High Five REACT is a high school club that seeks to prevent bullying and discrimination in schools by using games and digital content to mentor elementary and middle school students, promoting pro-social experiences and building protective factors through interpersonal skills and healthy relationships. The team is building a mentoring program between primary and secondary students to encourage a social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum. Throughout the mentorship program, this team teaches the foundations of how to maintain healthy relationships, forge connections with peers, and develop the tools to successfully engage with social-emotional situations/conflicts.