Mind Matters
2021 - 2025
In modern day America, providing support for young people navigating mental illness is a social justice matter of life and death. In response, Orlando Family Stage, UCF Psychology, Theatre UCF, YouthPLAYS, and Orange County Public Schools partnered to create "Mind Matters," a program designed to support students’ social-emotional health through theatre. The goal of "Mind Matters" is to reduce anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideations for high school students, utilizing best practices in theatre education and Social-Emotional Learning. Mind Matters is made possible through the Pabst Steinmetz Foundation Arts and Wellness Innovation Award.
Through Mind Matters, we are proud to have partnered with YouthPLAYS to create Pieces of Mind: Ten Plays About Mental Health for Teens, featuring plays by Lindz Amer, José Casas, Eric Coble, Jonathan Dorf, Ramón Esquivel, Idris Goodwin, Eislinn Gracen, Ralph Gregory Krumins, Melissa Leilani Larson, and Lojo Simon. These plays reflect our findings from surveys and listening sessions conducted with high school theatre educators and were developed with dramaturgical support from educators, teaching artists, UCF students, and over 280 high school students.
We also collaborated with teaching artists nationwide to develop research-backed, drama-based curriculum to support each play. Available here.
Press:
Through Mind Matters, we are proud to have partnered with YouthPLAYS to create Pieces of Mind: Ten Plays About Mental Health for Teens, featuring plays by Lindz Amer, José Casas, Eric Coble, Jonathan Dorf, Ramón Esquivel, Idris Goodwin, Eislinn Gracen, Ralph Gregory Krumins, Melissa Leilani Larson, and Lojo Simon. These plays reflect our findings from surveys and listening sessions conducted with high school theatre educators and were developed with dramaturgical support from educators, teaching artists, UCF students, and over 280 high school students.
We also collaborated with teaching artists nationwide to develop research-backed, drama-based curriculum to support each play. Available here.
Press:
Contributors:
Mind Matters was created through a partnership between Orlando Family Stage and the University of Central Florida, and supported by a 2021 Pabst Steinmetz Foundation Arts and Wellness Innovation Award.
Program Directors
Emily Freeman, Senior Director of Development, Orlando Family Stage
Elizabeth Brendel Horn, Associate Professor of Theatre, University of Central Florida
Psychology Consultants
Steven L. Berman, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Central Florida
Brian Fisak, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Central Florida
Curriculum Managers
Emily Freeman and Elizabeth Brendel Horn
Curriculum Writers
Maria Cary, Ximena Gonzalez, Elizabeth Brendel Horn, Kristala Pouncy Smart, Joshua Rashon Streeter, Julie Woods-Robinson
Program Coordinator
Ximena Gonzalez
Research Coordinator
Reilly Branch
Dramaturgs:
Cory Kennedy Barrow, Reilly Branch, Michael Cerasoli, Ishara Jean-Francois, Brianna Gerhardt, Ximena Gonzalez, Gabrielle Lawlor, Charlotte Meier, Samantha Petit-Homme, Jarrett Poore, Arius West, and Caylee-Mae Williams.
Program Directors
Emily Freeman, Senior Director of Development, Orlando Family Stage
Elizabeth Brendel Horn, Associate Professor of Theatre, University of Central Florida
Psychology Consultants
Steven L. Berman, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Central Florida
Brian Fisak, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Central Florida
Curriculum Managers
Emily Freeman and Elizabeth Brendel Horn
Curriculum Writers
Maria Cary, Ximena Gonzalez, Elizabeth Brendel Horn, Kristala Pouncy Smart, Joshua Rashon Streeter, Julie Woods-Robinson
Program Coordinator
Ximena Gonzalez
Research Coordinator
Reilly Branch
Dramaturgs:
Cory Kennedy Barrow, Reilly Branch, Michael Cerasoli, Ishara Jean-Francois, Brianna Gerhardt, Ximena Gonzalez, Gabrielle Lawlor, Charlotte Meier, Samantha Petit-Homme, Jarrett Poore, Arius West, and Caylee-Mae Williams.