2019 Change Maker Awards

The Change Maker Awards celebrate people and organizations creating real, meaningful change for children who struggle with mental health and learning disorders. From the professionals putting in long hours to the advocates bringing mental health awareness to the national stage, our honorees inspire us with their passion for changing the way we understand and treat our children.

Learn more about our 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020 Change Maker Award Winners.

Founder, The Goldie Hawn Foundation

Goldie Hawn is an Academy Award-winning actress, filmmaker, bestselling author and children’s advocate. She started the Goldie Hawn Foundation in 2003 to equip children with the social and emotional skills they need to lead smarter, healthier and happier lives. Working with leading neuroscientists, educators and researchers, the foundation developed its signature program, MindUP, to give children the knowledge and tools they need to manage stress, regulate emotions and face the challenges of the 21^st century with optimism, resilience and compassion. To date, over six million children have been taught MindUP in schools around the world.

Cleveland Cavaliers and Founder, The Kevin Love Fund
Kevin Love is not only a leader on the Cleveland Cavaliers but an undeniable force and influence across the entire league. In 11 seasons, Love can lay claim to five All-Star selections, an NBA Championship (2016) and a gold medal from both the Olympics and the FIBA World Championship. Love was selected 5th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft following a college career at UCLA that included numerous accolades and a Final Four appearance with the Bruins. After sharing his personal struggles with anxiety and depression, Love has become a leading voice among athletes in the conversation around the paramount importance of mental health. In 2018, he launched the Kevin Love Fund, which aims to inspire people to live their healthiest lives while providing the tools to achieve physical and emotional well-being.

Co-Founders, NEXT for AUTISM

NEXT for AUTISM was founded in 2003 by Harry and Laura Slatkin after their son David was diagnosed. Together with a group of dedicated colleagues, professionals and friends, they envisioned an organization that would reimagine autism services with exemplary, innovative programs that improve the lives of individuals and families living with autism. NEXT for AUTISM has built a portfolio of model programs with respected organizations, medical centers, universities, and other educational institutions; most notably, the NYC Autism Charter Schools, the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain at New York Presbyterian Hospital in partnership with Columbia and Cornell Universities and the Hunter Autism Research, Practice and Policy Center. nextforautism.org

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 hundreds of 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

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

Founder, Lauren’s Kids

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) provides the opportunity for all people who struggle with dyslexia and oIn 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

Outstanding Organization Award
Born This Way Foundation
bornthisway.foundation

Outstanding Organization Award
Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD)
chadd.org

Outstanding Organization Award
National Eating Disorders Association
nationaleatingdisorders.org

Community Builder Award
Eye to Eye
eyetoeyenational.org

Community Builder Award
Mindful Schools
mindfulschools.org

Community Builder Award
NoStigmas
nostigmas.org

Community Builder Award
The Trevor Project
thetrevorproject.org

People’s Choice Award
Scarlett Lewis Jesse
Lewis Choose Love Movement
jesselewischooselove.org

Community Builder Award
National Association of Special Education Teachers
naset.org

People’s Choice Award
Charlie and Hannah Lucas
notOK App
notokapp.com

People’s Choice Award
Kristina Saffran Project Heal
theprojectheal.org

People’s Choice Award
Lina Acosta Sandaal
Stop Parenting Alone
stopparentingalone.com