Rise Above

We host a bi-annual youth summit for high school students, exploring different topics of mental wellness while connecting them to local professionals and artists in Lancaster County.

NEW! Rise Above Youth Summit

The Rise Above: Eliminating Stigma in Youth Mental Wellness youth summit is a collaboration between the Touchstone Foundation and The Hood Hippie Love Yourself.

The goal for this summit is to help students gain new skills and connect them to resources for mental health in Lancaster County. Over the course of 4 weeks students will be introduced to new topics and themes and hear from professionals and local creatives. Students will be able to learn from each other and their Safe Space Coordinators (facilitators of the workshops).

Throughout the summit students will be challenged and encouraged to understand different perspectives when it comes to mental health. With each workshop that students participate in, they will be tasked to build up their general knowledge of mental health, learn about resources and understand the nuances about what mental health is and isn’t. Students will also be asked to explore their creativity through different mediums of art.

Get Involved

We are always looking for facilitators for our Rise Above Youth Summit.

Reach out for information Shanece Bowman, Programs Manager | sbowman@touchstonefound.org

Daily Breakdown

Icebreaker Activity

Session 1

Lunch – provided by Touchstone Foundation

Session 2

End of Day debrief

Fall 2022 Summit Breakdown

Sept 24th 2022 | 11am – 2pm Mental Health 101

Oct 1st 2022 | 11am – 2pm Self Advocacy

Oct 8th 2022 | 11am – 2pm Addiction and Substance Abuse

Oct 15th 2022 | 11am – 2pm After High School

Safe Space Coordinators

We call our facilitators Safe Space Coordinators, because not only are they engaging with the students on topics of mental health but they are also creating a space that is open for questions, comments and everything in-between for those that are just starting to learn about mental health.

Local Professionals - Fall 2022

  • Dr. Amanda Katchur (she/her) – Psychologist, Touchstone Foundation Board Member
  • Dr. Karen Rice (she/her) – Professor, Touchstone Foundation Committee Volunteer
  • Shanece Bowman (she/her) – Touchstone Foundation Programs Manager
  • Dr. Steven M. Kennedy (he/him) –
    Organic Chemistry, Associate Professor

Local Artists - Fall 2022

  • Keisha Finnie – Visual Artist
  • Sam Soliman (he/him) – Freelance Photographer/Videographer & Creative Director of The Hood Hippie Love Yourself
  • Brandon Allen (he/him) – Educator & Founder of The Hood Hippie Love Yourself
  • Dominique Jordan (he/him) – Spoken Word Poet