Mentee Health provides a mental health support system when it matters most
A Kode With Klossy scholar team uses their technical talents to break stigmas and connect the world
Times like these reiterate the need for an outlet. Whether it be that lingering stress from work, overwhelming anxiety from these unprecedented times, or other personal battles one might be facing, it’s important to have a mechanism to express these emotions. Despite all of humanity having these uneasy feelings at one point or another, it has not been overtly encouraged to vocalize these experiences — leaving bottled up, compounding emotions that can be harmful to one’s mental state over time. In an effort to de-stigmatize this sentiment and provide a platform for those struggling or looking for a way to communicate their present mental state, a team of Kode With Klossy scholars created Mentee Health.
The Mentee Health team, comprised of Lisa, Neeha, Mina and Michalie built a website for young adults across the world to connect and discuss their personal struggles and triumphs, share experiences and find resources to get help close to home. The team mentioned that a main reason for creating Mentee Health was to crush the stigma surrounding mental health issues and to provide a platform that welcomes the discussion surrounding the topic. One of the primary features of the website is the submissions page that allows users to submit and view personal stories of mental health struggles and triumphs. This page is meant to be a support system and beacon of hope for those who need it.
The Mentee Health team addressed this topic for a variety of reasons, with all four team members having either direct or indirect experiences associated with mental health. The team states: “We never want another teen to feel like they are in this fight alone. We all agree mental health is as important as physical health, and it should be recognized as such. In order to smash the mental health stigma, we decided to create a safe space where anyone could share their story but still remain anonymous.”
The Mentee Health team brought their idea to life by splitting up workloads across their team members. Utilizing Repl.it to code the website using CSS, HTML and JavaScript languages, along with Canva and Google Slides, the team leveraged each other’s skill sets and new found knowledge through the Kode With Klossy experience to deliver an impactful final project. Kode With Klossy is an inspiring organization for girls aged 13–18, and an active supporter of Call for Code that affords scholars the opportunity to attend free, two-week code camps where they learn about the fundamentals of either Web or Mobile App Development. The team worked tirelessly to bring their idea to fruition, check out their experience in the vlog below:
In large part due to the Kode With Klossy organization, Lisa, Neeha, Mina and Michalie felt encouraged to travel outside of their comfort zone, develop new technical skills and build a solution that evokes a new avenue to address mental health. Some team members look to continue their learning experiences in the tech space — Michalie will be majoring in computer science in college, Lisa is poised to work in technology one day and Mina and Neeha look to build upon their newly gained knowledge.
So what’s next for Mentee Health? The team hopes to include more interactive features such as an option to play music and interactive graphics, and eventually make the website into an app, or even a nonprofit.
Stories like these exude the importance of what community and technology can bring to the table when it’s all in an effort to achieve social good. Feeling inspired to make an impact yourself? Get involved and contribute to a Call for Code open source project of your choice!
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