Child Mind Institute Honors Community Orgs at Fifth Annual Change Maker Awards

Crowdsourced winners will join Goldie Hawn and Kevin Love at May 1 Event Hosted by Elizabeth Vargas

NEW YORK, NY – The Child Mind Institute today announced the winners of the People’s Choice, Outstanding Organization and Community Builder Awards — three crowdsourced honors that will be presented at the 2019 Change Maker Awards on May 1 at Carnegie Hall. The annual event, now in its fifth year, celebrates people and organizations that are creating real, meaningful change for children who struggle with mental health and learning disorders.

The People’s Choice Award

Crowdsourced nominations were voted on based on their impact.

Lauren’s Kids
Award to be presented to Lauren Book, Founder

In 2007, Lauren Book, MS Ed, founded Lauren’s Kids to raise awareness about child sexual abuse. Through her nonprofit foundation, Book has successfully advocated for the passage of nearly two dozen Florida laws. A former classroom teacher, Book developed “Safer, Smarter Schools,” a one-of-a-kind PreK-12 abuse prevention and personal safety curriculum program currently used by more than 65,000 classrooms. Book has been featured on hundreds of news outlets and is a member of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet and a Florida State Senator. laurenskids.org

The Outstanding Organization Award

This award recognizes an organization for their uncompromising support of young people who struggle with mental health and learning disorders and the professionals who work to help them is results-oriented and have proven success.

International Dyslexia Association
Award to be presented to Sonja Banks, CEO
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) provides the opportunity for all people who struggle with dyslexia and other related reading differences to have richer, more robust lives by providing access to the tools and resources they need. IDA’s home office, 43 branches in the United States and Canada, and 26 Global Partners help struggling readers around the world. IDA is the authoritative voice of current and reliable research and information to educate families and professionals about dyslexia. IDA provides information and support to thousands of people each year, and its annual conference attracts thousands of researchers, clinicians, parents, teachers, psychologists, educational therapists, and people with dyslexia. dyslexiaida.org

The Community Builder Award

This award recognizes an organization or group that demonstrates outstanding commitment to fostering open conversation, empowering self-advocates, and providing inspirational leadership to communities making change in child and adolescent mental health.

Peer Health Exchange
Award to be presented to Louise Langheier, Co-Founder and CEO

Peer Health Exchange began in 1999, when six Yale undergraduates began teaching health workshops in New Haven public schools to fill the gap left by an underfunded, understaffed district health program. In 2003, the founding members of the group established Peer Health Exchange to replicate this successful program in other communities with unmet health education needs. Since 2003, Peer Exchange has trained more than 10,000 college student volunteers to deliver health education to more than 149,000 public high school students in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. peerhealthexchange.org

In addition, Goldie Hawn, Founder, The Goldie Hawn Foundation, will receive the Activist Award at this year’s event. Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers star basketball player and an outspoken mental health advocate, will be presented with the Champion Award. Harry and Laura Slatkin will receive the Visionary Award for their work as co-founders of NEXT for Autism.

About the Child Mind Institute

The Child Mind Institute is an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. Our teams work every day to deliver the highest standards of care, advance the science of the developing brain, and empower parents, professionals and policymakers to support children when and where they need it most. Together with our supporters, we’re helping children reach their full potential in school and in life. We share all of our resources freely and do not accept any funding from the pharmaceutical industry. Learn more at childmind.org.