CHARVI GANGWANI
INDIA & UNITED STATES, 18
She/Her
Project: The Amygdala & The Amygdala Forum
As a teen facing adversities at home, Charvi felt there was a huge gap in mental health resources available to India’s students. When COVID-19 forced the world into lockdown, she saw an even higher degree of fear, anxiety and depression among teens. In March 2020, Charvi founded The Amygdala – an organization raising awareness about mental health issues, advocating for access to mental health services in schools, and helping adolescents achieve psychological resilience through education and resources. The Amygdala Forum is an online community that promotes cultural exchange and introspections, connects youth from around the world, and helps them feel less alone and normalize their experiences. The Amygdala has become an international movement comprised of psychological education and mental health workshops and webinars, a speaker series that connects mental health professionals to students, and an advocacy series that highlights the stories of young mental health advocates. To date, they have led 74 sessions impacting 3,000+ students worldwide, and their education guides have been used in 43 schools across India. The Amygdala also collaborates with schools and colleges to provide students with telehealth support lines, free online counseling services and resource toolkits. The Amygdala was recognized by NITI Aayog – India’s public policy think-tank, and UNICEF India as one of 2020’s top ‘30 Most Inspiring Ideas of Change’. Charvi is working to implement social and emotional learning in school curriculum, decrease the stigma surrounding mental health challenges, and encourage the world to take a proactive rather than reactive approach to mental health.