Youth Journalists Report on Youth Mental Health in Minnesota

This July marked the ninth summer that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota has partnered with ThreeSixty Journalism for their Multimedia Storytelling Institute, a partnership aimed to empower the next generation of journalists, change existing narratives, and give voice to those most impacted by barriers to good health. 22 students participated in the three-week immersive camp, which allowed students to learn about the ins and outs of reporting from local media experts and report on timely issues directly impacting Minnesota communities.

This year’s Multimedia Storytelling Institute theme was youth mental health. Students reported on the state of youth mental health in Minnesota, highlighting some of the greatest issues currently affecting youth wellbeing, treatment, and recovery.  Throughout the three-week camp, students had the opportunity to develop their writing and communication skills and work directly with some of the industry’s leading journalism professionals to call attention to the state of youth mental health in Minnesota. Media partners included  KARE-11, KSTP-TV, TPT, the Minnesota Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, MinnPost, the University of Minnesota, Unicorn Riot, and Lindsey Seavert Studios.

“No one can tell the story of youth mental health better than young people themselves,” said Bukata Hayes, Chief Community Health Officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “ThreeSixty Journalism students are using their voices and lived experiences to shed light on the mental health challenges facing young people today and highlighting innovative solutions and sources of support to improve health across Minnesota.”

According to Mental Health America’s (MHA) 2025 State of Mental Health in America report, Minnesota ranks 30th in the nation for youth mental health, reflecting both strengths and ongoing challenges for young people across the state. While Minnesota has strong systems for identifying and supporting youth with mental health needs, the report found that nearly 21% of Minnesota youth experienced a major depressive episode and almost 14% reported serious thoughts of suicide, while two-thirds of youth experiencing depression did not receive care. These findings underscore why youth mental health continues to be a critical issue and why it is so important to create opportunities to elevate youth voices and share stories about mental health.

“Mental health isn’t really talked enough about,” said Wendy Xiong, Junior at Johnson Senior High School. “For young people it’s not that normalized, and they tend to keep things to themselves without letting other people understand what they’re going through. Having youth report on the topic is really empowering.”

Students reported on the work of Ain Dah Yung to reduce rates of suicide for American Indian youth, the rising rates of eating disorders amongst young men with Emily Program, the Recovery Road, CornerHouse, teen vaping with the Association for Non-Smokers MN (ANSR), and the power of art therapy to create healing. Through reporting, storytelling, and honest conversations, programs like ThreeSixty Journalism help raise awareness, reduce stigma, and amplify youth voices at a time when many young people face significant mental health challenges.

“It’s important for young people to report on difficult, complex topics because their lives are impacted by those realities every day, and they deserve representation in shaping public narratives about them,” said Kenzie O’Keefe, Director of ThreeSixty Journalism. “The journalistic process builds understanding, community, and agency—all things we want for young people as they grow into informed, civically engaged adults capable of transforming our world for the better.”

For the students in this year’s cohort, reporting on youth mental health was about more than learning journalism skills—it was an opportunity to explore issues affecting their peers and communities while helping others feel seen and understood. By giving students the tools, mentorship, and platform to tell meaningful stories, the program continues to create opportunities for young voices to inform important conversations and bring fresh perspectives to Minnesota’s media landscape. Click here to learn more about the program or read the Fall 2025 magazine.