Reflections from the 2026 Washington State Changemakers

By Lale Kutlu, selected 2026 Changemaker and member of the Lincoln High School Mock Trial team

From June 16-18, my partner Saanvi and I had the honor of representing Washington state at the 2026 YMCA Changemakers Summit in Charlotte, NC! For three days, we were exposed to innovative ideas, exciting keynotes, and changemakers from around the country. We were one of 40 out of around 120 pairs who were chosen to present a project they came up with to help their community. We presented Here For You: A Youth Mental Health First Aid Initiative. 

Here For You is a project created in response to the mental health crisis Seattle is currently facing. Teens are one of the most vulnerable populations, but while
resources exist, 64% of U.S. teens experiencing mental health challenges don’t seek help. That is why we wanted to focus on action, which prioritized reaching out to teens. Here For You aims to raise awareness about Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to teachers. This training and certification equips teachers with the resources needed to identify their students’ struggles and connect them to the appropriate needs. We plan to spread the word through the use of toolkits sent to every SPS (Seattle Public Schools) Middle and High School teacher. The toolkits contain a flyer about Here For You, a step-by-step certification guide, and an “I am certified” pin.

While we were not selected to receive the $5,000 in award money, we left with invaluable knowledge. We are grateful for this wonderful experience and aim to continue advocating for Youth Mental Health Certification for SPS teachers and beyond. I am currently working on raising awareness in my school and have already spoken with the Seattle City mayor, deputy mayor, council members, and Seattle city workers about the pressing issue. We’d like to thank Liz Hertel for being our chaperone — her dedication, kindness, and energy helped us so much in the conference, and the experience wouldn’t have been the same without her! Lastly, many thanks to all the conference organizers at the YMCA for making such an incredible opportunity possible, workshop hosts and speakers for taking the time to educate us on pressing issues and give us much inspiration, and the hotel staff for being incredible hosts and making the conference run so smoothly. Lastly, to all the 2026 Changemakers: we are in awe of the work you have done and had an amazing time meeting you! If you are in 9th-11th grade, we encourage you to apply! Thank you, YMCA Changemakers!