The aim of this innovative opportunity is shine a light on the mental health challenges that so many young people experience and to address it with actionable, hopeful, community building and accessible actions.

Our mission is to get as many university and college campuses as possible to plant a yellow tulip garden (or painted yellow stones) by Global Mental Health Day, 10th October 2024 (or at another date this autumn).  Students will be invited to share their personal stories of ‘Hope’ and images of the blossoming tulip gardens at the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week, Spring 2025.

To make this work, we need a small team of students from UArctic and non-UArctic colleges and universities to collaborate with us online and spread the word.

Join us on MS Teams on Wednesday 11th September 2024 from 4pm to 5pm (UTC) / 11am to 12pm (EST), to find out more about this important project and how students in your university or college can get involved.  Please see the links below for more information about COIL Arctic, The Yellow Tulip Project as well as our bios.  We look forward to working with you this fall and together smashing the stigma surrounding mental health.

Meeting link:
Microsoft Teams 
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 347 959 772 290
Passcode: FKPRw7

Please see the links below for more information about COIL Arctic, The Yellow Tulip Project as well as our bios.  We look forward to working with you this fall and together smashing the stigma surrounding mental health.

The Yellow Tulip Project is a Youth Driven nonprofit organization with a mission to smash the stigma associated with mental health, build community, and spread hope.

Hope Happens: Yellow Tulip Project Co-Founder’s Ted Talk

COIL@UArctic is a future-focused, globally connected, virtual learning strategy for UArctic members and non-members with a focus on Biodiversity Education. 

Suzanne Fox co-founded The Yellow Tulip Project with her daughter Julia in 2016. She currently serves as the Director of Global Initiatives, on the YTP Board of Directors and as an advisor to YTP’s special projects including the I Am More: Facing Stigma and Young Men Moving Mountains exhibits, Storytelling Alchemy and other community partnerships.   She is an out of the box thinker and a creator who loves working on projects that make a positive impact on this messy but beautiful world. She served as YTP’s Executive Director from its creation until June 2023.  Prior to her work as a mental health activist, Suzanne has over 30 years of experience in building understanding and cross-cultural awareness as an adjunct professor, principal of an intercultural consulting company and a facilitator.  She has a B.A. in Asian Studies from Bowdoin College, an MA in Chinese Politics from the School of Oriental & African Studies in London and just completed her masters in Global Mental Health from the University of Edinburgh. She is passionate about combining her background and experiences in cross-cultural understanding with mental health activism, and youth engagement.   Suzanne has deep connections to the Arctic region and has presented several times at both the Arctic Congress and Arctic Circle conferences. She is a firm believer in the power of collaboration and knows that mental health is too big and important of a topic for anyone to tackle alone.  She is the recipient of The New England Patriots Foundation Myra Kraft Community Volunteer Award, United Way of Southern Maine Individual Advocate Award and the Maine Biz NEXT Award recognized as one of  seven individuals who are changing Maine's economy and making a significant impact in their industry.

Suzanne Fox, Co-Founder & Director of Global Initiatives: The Yellow Tulip Project
Website: www.theyellowtulipproject.org
Email: suzanne@theyellowtulipproject.org
Time Zone: EST 

Izzy Crawford is an Associate Dean for Economic, Social, and Cultural Development at Robert Gordon University, Scotland.  She is the Thematic Lead for the COIL@UArctic Thematic Network on Collaborative Online International Learning and Biodiversity Education.  In addition to 19 years as an academic, Izzy’s work experience includes 10 years in communications management for the National Health Service, culminating in the design and delivery of an award winning campaign to reduce the stigma associated with mental ill health.  She holds an MA(Hons) Social Science from the University of Glasgow and postgraduate certificates in Public Relations, Higher Education Learning and Teaching, and Research Methods.  She is currently studying for a PhD in the field of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), is an Accredited Member and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK.

Izzy Crawford, Associate Dean for Economic, Social and Cultural Development, Robert Gordon University, Scotland
Website: Mrs Izzy Crawford (worktribe.com)
Email: i.c.crawford@rgu.ac.uk
Time Zone: UTC