SOLUTIONARY

PROJECT
Marina Pang
ABSTRACT
SUMMARY Imagine watching the world through a glass shield, as if you are
shut off and cannot reach the other side. Feeling excluded,
disappointed, alone. This is a common feeling of depression and
anxiety, which are mental disorders that many teenagers struggle
with. During the past few years, suicide rates in teenagers have
dramatically increased in the US due to extreme stress and
feelings of isolation, and the COVID19 pandemic is not solving any
of those problems. It is tougher to connect with friends and family
because everything needs to be online, which makes it difficult to
read expressions or body language. One of the causes of suicide is
the feeling of loneliness and isolation. Many teenagers feel as
though they are not part of any community and do not belong. They
cannot confide in their friends or family members so they bottle
and hide their emotions, which is not healthy because the feelings
can explode and lead to ideas of death. In order to solve the root of
the problem (loneliness), I decided to create a program to connect
teens to each other using letters and writing. Teens will be able to
send me letters they feel comfortable sharing, and I will pass them
on anonymously to other kids in the program. For example, one girl
could send in a letter about how she is feeling, and I would send
that letter to a boy in the program. However, the boy will not know
any personal information about the girl. The goal of this program is
to decrease teenage suicide rates by spreading feelings of
understanding and love through letters. This program is estimated
to last about a month.

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STATEMENT OF NEED
The issue of increased suicide rates and depression diagnosis in teenagers is
important because teenagers are the future, and they should be empowered
instead of suffering quietly. My website will allow teens all over the world to
connect with each other and share feelings of loneliness and despair. It will
become a safe platform for them to open up to strangers who are not
strangers. This will work on the problem of teenage suicide and depression
rates. The website will benefit the teenagers as well as the future because
decreased suicide rates will result in a larger population. Although there are
many sites and apps that tackle the issue of loneliness, my website will be
safer and allow for a closer connection between each party.

PROJECT ACTIVITY,
METHODOLOGY, AND
OUTCOMES
There are many programs in which people can send letters to strangers
online. However, simply typing words and sending them to a website has a
different impact on the receiver than receiving a physical piece of paper.
Reading someone’s handwriting and knowing the writer put effort into their
words makes the letter personal and meaningful. In addition, in a generation
where the internet has taken over our lives, it is important to spend time for
ourselves and take time away from the screen. This is the best way to
address the issue of suicide because I am a high schooler who does not have
much experience or resources to create a big nonprofit, and after assessing
my abilities, I found that writing letters would be the most effective solution.
First, I will create a website that will have basic information about the program
and a place to sign up. I will also need to set up a P.O. box for letters to be sent
into. Then I will promote the program through social media and family
networks. After gaining members, I will send out an email letting them know
that the letters can be sent. After receiving letters, I will review each one for
inappropriate/personal content before spinning a wheel to randomly send the
letters.
EVALUATION
In order to evaluate the project’s success, I will send out surveys to members
asking them how their mental health changed during the program. In addition,
if the contents of the letters are more positive than the previous letters, that
will also indicate the success of my project.

DISSEMINATION
The goal of my project is to create a positive impact on teenagers in order to
decrease suicide levels in the US. My plan, therefore, targets teenagers who
feel lonely and are struggling with mental health issues. However, in order to
gather participants for the program, I will need to share information with
others. The promotion of this program can be done on a website as well as
social media.

BUDGET AND FUNDING

$ Use
$0 Free Weebly Website

$25 P.O. Box for 1 month

$5 Sending letters
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