Orange County

Featured Art

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Mini Grant Application Due October 10th

Mini Grant Opportunity! Schools and organizations are invited to apply for Directing Change mini grants this program year. Mini grant teams receive up to $1,500 and commit to creating 5 films for the Directing Change Program, teaching at least one lesson on suicide prevention or mental health, and hosting a student-led event in which their youth films are shared. 

Apply here by October 10th: http://youthcreatingchange.org/2026-mini-grant-application

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Orange County Youth Place in May Hope & Justice Contest

Our May contest asked youth to create art, films, written works, or audio pieces about how they cope with tough times (Hope); the changes they want to see in their communities (Justice); and the one word they would use to describe what young people need for mental health.

Feeling inspired? Check out more Hope & Justice art and film submissions from Orange County youth.

• First Place Monthly Prompt: “Seen” by Sanvi Gandhi
• Honorable Mention Monthly Prompt: “Love” by Brooklyn Lightfoot

View the full list of May winners across California here.

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Orange County Youth – Create a sports-themed PSA!

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Orange County’s 3rd Annual Directing Change Awards Night

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Orange County Students Recognized for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Achievements

OYouth Creating Change announced the regional finalists in its 13th annual Directing Change Film Contest encouraging young people to create short films and art projects about suicide prevention and mental health.

• First Place Mental Health (Region 1): “To My Younger Self”
• Second Place Mental Health (Region 1): “Seeds of Change”
• Third Place Mental Health (Region 1): “Taking the Wheel”
• Team Pick Mental Health (Statewide): “Therapist”
• Second Place Suicide Prevention (Region 1): “Birthday Blues”
• Second Place Walk in Our Shoes (Suicide Prevention) (Statewide): “Some Will Always Have Your Back”

In addition to the films above, numerous other fantastic films from Orange County also received “Honorable Mention” in their respective categories. View all 2025 winning films here.

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Orange County Youth Place in February Hope & Justice Contest

Our February contest asked youth to create art, films, written works, or audio pieces about how they cope with tough times (Hope); the changes they want to see in their communities (Justice); and the “anchors” that remind them to stay hopeful (Monthly Prompt). 

Feeling inspired? Check out more Hope & Justice art and film submissions from Orange County youth.

• First Place Monthly Prompt (High School): “Capture the Moment” by Leesa Qawasmeh
• Honorable Mention Monthly Prompt (High School): “Melodic” by Brandon Maynor
• First Place Monthly Prompt (Middle School): “Hold On” by Brooklyn Lightfoot
• Honorable Mention Hope & Justice: “Take a Breath” by Jeremiah Smith, Hieu Ha, and Aidan Mathe Ruixi Yu

View the full list of February winners across California here.

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Orange County Youth Place in May Hope & Justice Contest

Our October contest asked youth to create art, films, written works, or audio pieces about how they cope with tough times (Hope), the changes they want to see in their communities (Justice), and exploring how they’ve been taking care of their mental health during the election, as well as what representation in elected leaders means to them (Monthly Prompt). 

Feeling inspired? Check out more Hope and Justice art and film submissions from Orange County youth.

• Honorable Mention Monthly Prompt: “Your Voice Matters” by Lilly Molina

View the full list of October winners across California here.

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Orange County Youth Place in May Hope & Justice Contest

Our May contest asked youth to create art, films, written works, or audio pieces about how they cope with tough times (Hope), the changes they want to see in their communities (Justice), the impact of social media on mental health (Monthly Prompt). Feeling inspired? Check-out more Hope and Justice art and film submissions from Orange County youth.

Feeling inspired? Check-out more Hope and Justice art and film submissions from Orange County youth.

• First Place Monthly Prompt (Middle School): “Filtered Realities” by Nicholas Quarles
• Third Place Monthly Prompt (Middle School): “Social Media and Self-Care” by Adleigh Giles

View the full list of May winners across California here.

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Orange County Youth Place in April Hope & Justice Contest

The April contest asked youth to create art, films, written works, or audio pieces about how they cope with tough times (Hope), the changes they want to see in their communities (Justice), and reassuring young people that they are never a bother and can share their feelings with others (Monthly Prompt).

Feeling inspired? Check-out more Hope and Justice art and film submissions from Orange County youth.

• Honorable Mention Monthly Prompt (High School): “Turning the Page” by Alize Galvan, Johni Morillo, and Hector Pena
• Honorable Mention Hope & Justice: “Little Things” by Ruth Downum (*Content warning: this entry contains potentially triggering images that may evoke a strong emotional response or discomfort*)

View the full list of April winners across California here.

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Orange County Students Recognized for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Achievements

The Directing Change Program & Film Contest announced the regional finalists in the 12th annual student contest encouraging young people to create short films and art projects about suicide prevention and mental health.

• First Place Mental Health (Region 1): “Beyond the Surface”
• Second Place Mental Health (Region 1): “Seasons of Hope”
• Third Place Suicide Prevention (Tie, Region 1): “Through a Different Lens”

In addition to the films above, other fantastic films from Orange County also received awards in various specialty categories, as well as “Honorable Mention” in their respective categories. View all 2024 winning films here.

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Orange County Youth Place in February Hope & Justice Contest

The February contest asked youth to create art, films, written works, or audio pieces about how they cope with tough times (Hope), the changes they want to see in their communities (Justice), and reassuring young people that they are never a bother and can share their feelings with others (Monthly Prompt).

Feeling inspired? Check out more Hope and Justice art and film submissions from Orange County youth.

• First Place Monthly Prompt (Middle School): “You’re No Annoyance Here” by Nicholas Quarles
• Honorable Mention Monthly Prompt (Middle School): “Your Problems May Feel as Big as the Ocean, but I Will Be Your Shore” by Gwen Macros and Ruby Temple
• Honorable Mention Monthly Prompt (High School): “Never a Bother Only a Helper” by Alize Galvan

View the full list of February winners across California here.

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Orange County Youth Place in December/January Hope & Justice Contest

The December/January contest asked youth to create art, films, written works, or audio pieces about how they cope with tough times (Hope), the changes they want to see in their communities (Justice), and what they wish their parents and other adults knew about youth mental health (Monthly Prompt).

Feeling inspired? Check-out more Hope and Justice art and film submissions from Orange County youth.

• First Place Monthly Prompt (Film – High School): “Dear Mom and Dad…” by Tahlia Pompel and Claire Ng

View the full list of December/January winners across California here.

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Orange County Youth Place in October Hope & Justice Contest

October’s contest asked youth to create art, films, or written works about how they cope with tough times (Hope), the changes they want to see in their communities (Justice), and the importance of checking in with others, including what a conversation about suicide prevention and mental health can look like in real life (Monthly Prompt).

Feeling inspired? Check-out more Hope and Justice art and film submissions from Orange County youth.

• First Place Monthly Prompt (High School) “Coyote Corner” by Aracely Aispuro-Morales and Leilani Chavez
• Honorable Mention Monthly Prompt (High School) “Are You Ok?” by Caitlin Oreta
• First Place Monthly Prompt (Middle School) “Be the Friend” by Penny Linh and Abbey Xuan Lea Graham
• Honorable Mention Hope & Justice: “Hope’s Eternal Glow” by Katelyn Gooneratne

View the full list of October winners across California here.

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Orange County Youth Place in September Hope & Justice Contest

September’s contest asked youth to create art, films, or written works about how they cope with tough times (Hope), the changes they want to see in their communities (Justice), and their “anchor” (Monthly Prompt), which could be a hobby or activity, a form of self-care, or any little thing that brings joy, helps them cope, and reminds them about their reason for living.

Feeling inspired? Check-out more Hope and Justice art and film submissions from Orange County youth.

• First Place September Hope & Justice – Art: “Maybe if I was . . .” by Abbey Xuan Lea Graham

View the full list of September winners across California here.

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Statewide Winners Announced in Annual Directing Change Film Contest

Statewide winners in all categories were announced by the Directing Change Program & Film Contest! Three Orange County films (“Sensory Overload,” “That’s What Friends Are For,” and “Reaching Out”) were screened at a red-carpet award ceremony hosted at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, May 16th. Congratulations to the filmmakers who placed!

Orange County statewide winners:

• First Place Suicide Prevention: “That’s What Friends Are For”
• Third Place Mental Health: “Sensory Overload”
• First Place Walk in Our Shoes – What is Mental Health: “Reaching Out”
• Second Place Walk in Our Shoes – Words Matter: “Remember”
• Second Place Through the Lens of Culture: “I See You”
• Fifth Place Animated Short: “Their Room”

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Orange County School Participates in Mental Health Spirit Day

Directing Change asked schools and organizations across California to take action for mental health by participating in the second annual Mental Health Spirit Day.

For their Spirit Day, Santiago Charter Middle School hosted a campus-wide event where students wore Take Action for Mental Health wristbands and lime green clothing to spread awareness of mental health. The school also held activities throughout Mental Health Awareness Month, including gratitude journaling, bracelet making, and mental health trivia. Thank you for planning these amazing events! And a big thank you to the Take Action for Mental Health campaign for sponsoring Mental Health Spirit Day.

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Orange County Students Recognized for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Achievements

The Directing Change Program & Film Contest announced the regional finalists in the 11th annual student contest encouraging young people to create short films and art projects about suicide prevention and mental health.

• First Place Suicide Prevention (Region 1): “That’s What Friends Are For”
• First Place Mental Health (Region 1): “Sensory Overload”
• Second Place Mental Health (Region 1): “Always There”
• Third Place Mental Health (Tie) (Region 1): “Nothing To Be Ashamed Of”

In addition to the films above, numerous other fantastic films from Orange County also received “Honorable Mention” in their respective categories. View all 2023 winning films here.