Sound It Out Challenge Aims to Promote Mental Health Awareness to Middle Schoolers

Middle schoolers around the country are encouraged to record a song or write a poem about mental health for their chance at winning some pretty cool prizes.

The new Sound It Out Challenge is aimed at promoting mental health awareness to kids ages 10-15 through music, according to the Ad Council.

As part of the new campaign, middle schoolers across the United States can write a rap, song, or poem that relates to mental health and how they process their own feelings for a chance at winning an iPad Pro, a 1-year Calm App subscription, and a personalized journal.

The challenge aims to promote the importance of talking about mental health with friends and loved ones and showing how you can gain support from parents and the community by letting what you’re feeling on the inside out.

The campaign was created by the Ad Council in partnership with Pivotal Ventures and organizations including Values Partnerships, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, National Action Network, and more. The initiative also includes exclusive music and interviews with artists including Tôbe Nwigwe, Lauren Jauregui, and KAMAUU.

The music on the Sound it Out album was made using conversations between the artists and kids in an effort to help the youth find new ways of expressing themselves and their emotions.

Winners will be selected in one of the categories for best rap, song, and poetry/spoken word. The top winner will receive the Viewer’s Choice Award and most likely a great deal of press. Participants must email their submission and post on their Instagram account tagging @sounditouttogether using the hashtag #SoundItOut.

All submissions must be submitted by Monday, January 31, ahead of the Sound It Out National Virtual Event on Thursday, February 10. Speakers are expected to discuss the importance of mental health at the event as it relates to middle schoolers.

Young speakers will share how they process challenging times and emotions and hear from a special selection of winners of the Sound It Out Challenge.