At a time when youth mental health support is shrinking, Creative Visions' #CreateConnectCare Awards spotlights remarkable young artists, writers, creators, and educators building cultures of care in classrooms worldwide.

LOS ANGELES, May 29, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Creative Visions today announced the recipients of the 2026 #CreateConnectCare Awards, celebrating over 50 extraordinary young artists, writers, performers, and media makers whose creative work is helping young creators — and the peers who engage with their stories — feel seen, supported, and less alone.

#CreateConnectCare is a year-round initiative of Creative Visions designed to empower youth ages 11-18 to share their stories, build empathy, and spark change through creative expression. The annual #CreateConnectCare Challenge is just one vehicle the program utilizes to achieve this mission, inviting global participation to foster widespread connection and mental health awareness.

Additionally, three Educator Champions were recognized for empowering student voices in the classroom, and four Collective Impact Awards honored outstanding group and class collaborations.

The announcement closes out Mental Health Awareness Month at a time of urgent need. Worldwide, 1 in 7 adolescents experience mental health challenges, and in the U.S., nearly 60% of teens with depression never receive proper care. With school-based mental health programs in decline and specialized crisis services being eliminated over the past year, young people are stepping up to save each other and heal through storytelling.

"We know the power of storytelling and creative expression to build community, connection, and empathy; and as tools for healing and transformation," said Pat Chandler, CEO of Creative Visions. "#CreateConnectCare was created on that foundation. While the annual Challenge gives youth a powerful stage, it is a year‑round movement that ensures young people have the support and space to share their stories — and in doing so, transform the culture of care around them."

This vital work and the expansion of #CreateConnectCare is made possible through the generous support of Regina K. Scully and the Artemis Rising Foundation, Ana Pincus, Adam and Melony Lewis and the Lewis Foundation, Moleskine, Hachette Book Group, Belle Hahn, and Maria and Kenneth Cole.

Explore the Movement: Visit the #CreateConnectCare Awards Gallery to experience these powerful works firsthand, hear directly from the creators, and witness the courage of young people making a real difference in mental health awareness.

A Global Growing Movement With a Pulse on What Young People Are Feeling

This year, over 3,000 young people ages 11-18 across 50 U.S. States and 15 countries participated in the #CreateConnectCare Challenge, offering one of the most authentic, real-time windows into what adolescents are navigating right now. The themes that surface across the global submissions are strikingly consistent: masking, immigrant identity, social media pressure, body image, and feelings of isolation. Young people are transforming those experiences into art, reaching across geography and circumstance to remind each other they are not alone.

Honorees are celebrated across several categories, including the top-tier Creative Changemaker Award, which celebrates one student in each of the three age groups. Awardees include Tayla K.'s "Beneath the Ice" (11-12), Itzel E.'s "No Es Ilegal" (13-15), and Sin-Yun S.'s "Behind the Mask" (16-18). Other awards and recognition grants range from $100 to $500 to youth creators and educators whose work fosters connection, empathy, and mental health awareness.

"I hope others will read my poem and feel understood. I hope it reminds them that it's okay to not have everything neatly wrapped up. That brokenness can still be beautiful. That healing doesn't always come from holding it together; it can come from letting go." — Emily, age 15

"This award is of great significance. It highlights the crucial role of genuinely listening to one another in the classroom, nurturing a bond between students and teachers through creativity and commitment. Ultimately, this process brings us to a point where the entire world can hear us, united as one large family that genuinely cares for one another." — Ann, Educator Champion

Looking Ahead: The 2027 #CreateConnectCare Challenge opens globally on January 6, 2027 — inviting youth across the world to share their stories, spark connection, and create change. As schools reopen and we look toward World Mental Health Day on October 10, we'll be sharing new tools to help students create, express themselves, and strengthen cultures of care in their communities.

The time is now. Together, we can create a future where no young person feels invisible, and every voice becomes a catalyst for change.

About #CreateConnectCare:

Launched by Creative Visions in 2023, #CreateConnectCare is a year-long initiative that empowers youth ages 11-18 to share their stories, build empathy, and spark change through creative expression, promoting mental health and well-being. By sharing their mental health experiences and perspectives, young people can raise awareness, foster empathy, and inspire others to take action.

About Creative Visions:

Creative Visions empowers artists, filmmakers, musicians, and other impact media makers to raise awareness of critical issues and drive positive change through storytelling – one of our most powerful tools for creating a more just, caring, and sustainable world. The nonprofit organization and United Nations NGO was founded in memory of 22-year-old artist and photojournalist Dan Eldon, who died in 1993 while covering the conflict in Somalia for Reuters News Agency. Creative Visions' Impact Education programs support youth, educators, and changemakers in understanding how to utilize media, the arts, and technology to take creative action on the issues they care about. For more information, visit www.creativevisions.org,

For media inquiries, please reach out to: creativevisions@ellecomm.com.

Media Contact

Ellie Nighswander, Creative Visions, 1 8159226683, creativevisions@ellecomm.com 

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SOURCE Creative Visions