Walgreens Expression Challenge Gives Young People A Safe Space To Create


 Walgreens Expression Challenge Gives Young People A Safe Space To Create

By Tia Carol Jones

In 2009, Walgreens created a competition that would give young people the opportunity to express themselves creatively. In the beginning the focus was to address HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases among high school students. There were 300 entries the first year. The goal was to create awareness and promote education.

Fourteen years later, Expressions Challenge is a national, digital competition. Students can express themselves on any topic that is impactful to them. Last year, there were more than 4,800 entries. The competition is a way for Walgreens to continue its commitment to the health and well-being of teenagers. It provides a safe space for young people to express themselves.

“We know how impactful art therapy can be to help support mental health,” said Lauren Stone, Director of ESG and Interim Director of Community Affairs at Walgreens.

Stone said it is important to give young people a safe space to create because the psychologists that Walgreens works with have told them how important and impactful art therapy is in helping them enhance their self-esteem, coping skills, self-expression and stress management. These things are really important for young people and the competition goes a long way in helping to maintain young people’s mental health. Stone said every piece of work the young people created is unique and deserves to be viewed.
Because research has shown that social media has a big impact on the mental health of teens, Walgreens collaborated with Mental Health America to create a toolkit. The toolkit helps to fill the gap in mental health awareness and provide resources.

“Self-expression is so incredibly important and we know that that in itself is really challenging for teenagers. This challenge gives them a way to express themselves through different varieties of art in a way that is comfortable for them in topics that matter,” Stone said.

Stone has heard from students and teachers how impactful it is for young people to have the opportunity to express themselves and have their voices heard.

Garrett Miller participated in the Expressions Challenge twice, once in 2015 and again in 2017. He wanted to participate in the challenge because he knew there were people in his generation that were seeking guidance on a peer-to-peer level.

“I felt that even at that young age, I had a level of wisdom that when expressed creatively, would engage audiences,” Miller said.

Miller won first place in the Media Arts category for his video titled, “Automatic,” in 2015. It was about promoting healthy interactions with partners. In 2017, he won second place in the Creative Writing category for his piece “Alone.” The piece focused on the topic of inclusion and its importance.

From his participation, Miller learned that there are spaces available to the youth that will provide a platform to bring positive changes to one’s community, through relating unique experiences and advocating for social awareness. He said the experience helped him gain the confidence to know his creativity is a great skill and a talent that has the potential to open doors for him. He realized that his unique perspective could spark ideas in others. Miller attended Kenwood Academy High School, and went on to attend and graduate from Howard University. He studied media, film and television. He graduated from Howard in 2023.

Miller said he would advise other students to participate in the competition. It was therapeutic for him to take note of his experience and create something in narrative or video form around that experience. He said that creative expression has the potential of serving the person’s development as well as the development of others. He wants young people to know that it is brave to put yourself out there and be transparent.
Michael Culnane is a broadcast journalism teacher at William Senn High School. His students have been able to make a variety of videos on different topics for the competition, including school shootings, self image, social media addiction, anxiety and mental health, among others. He realizes there are a lot of issues that young people go through that are under the radar. Giving them a platform to express themselves in a creative way gives the students the opportunity to help other young people who might be going through similar things.

The deadline for students to submit work for the competition is March 31st. For more information about Expressions Challenge, visit expressionschallenge.com.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

STARR Community Services International, Inc.