Empowering Young Adults Our Programs Fresh Check Day 127 Fresh Check Days in 33 states plus the District of Columbia were held in 2017. Fresh Check Day added an impressive 19 new states to its national reach in 2017 alone. Nearly 30,000 students participated in Fresh Check Days around the country and received vital mental health and suicide prevention messaging. In conjunction with the Jordan Porco Foundation’s continuous quality improvement efforts, four new interactive booth options were developed, including “At Ease,” which was relaunched after a year of revisions to improve messaging around the important topic of student service member mental health. The Connecticut National Guard hosted their fourth annual Fresh Check Day for the soldiers in the Recruit Sustainment Program and several regional partnerships allowed for Fresh Check Day to thrive in new markets. Nine out of Ten In 2017, the Jordan Porco Foundation launched Nine out of Ten Ambassadors. Through student-led innovation and a multitude of approaches, Nine out of Ten student ambassadors engage in year-round advocacy and awareness activities to spread the message of Nine out of Ten: Be Aware, Speak Up, Reach Out, and #Helpsomeone. The first half of the year was spent finalizing rules and requirements for Ambassadors, building a stock of program materials, and creating an Ambassadors website utilizing grant funding from the Connecticut DPH and Wheeler Clinic. Student interns from CCMC helped pilot the program. The program was launched in the fall 2017 semester and 47 Ambassadors were recruited by the end of the year. In fall 2017, Nine out of Ten Ambassadors reached over 4,000 people with critical suicide prevention and mental health promotion messaging. 4 What’s Next 5 sites piloted the 4 What’s Next program in 2017, reaching 300 high school students. Pilot sites included Enfield High School, Manchester High School, Guilford Youth & Family Services, Capital Prep Magnet School, and Immaculate High School. In June, a number of high school students came together for a focus group to gather feedback on new activities developed for the program. Piloting will continue in 2018, with a full launch of the program anticipated in 2019. Jordan Porco Foundation 2017 Annual Report 11