Student-Athlete Campus Ambassadors

Advisors are required for all high school chapters, strongly encouraged for all college chapters 

• Any faculty member - athletic or academic - on a student’s campus 

• Serve as a volunteer advisor to student club/organization - often required by a campus

• Aid with logistics of the student group, including assistance with planning of meetings and events

• Support your students as they lead - these groups are peer-to-peer!

Who:

• Current high school or college student-athletes - at any athletic level

• Graduate students who are still participating in collegiate athletics

• Students must be 14 years or older to join

Commitment: 

• Seeking individuals with a passion for student-athlete mental health education

• Students must be able to dedicate 2-4 hours/month to growing the movement in their community

Expectations:

• Identify, set, and achieve goals regarding how you will spread Morgan’s Message® to your community 

• Lead at least 1 meeting per month (we encourage more!) on your campus 

• Lead or participate in 2 educational workshops, activities or fundraisers per semester

• Attend monthly calls to hear from expert guest speakers and  connect with other Morgan’s Message® Ambassadors (led by Morgan’s Message staff)

• Amplify and disseminate resources, presentations, and ideas on behalf of Morgan’s Message in your community

• We do not recruit! All ambassadors apply online and volunteer to join our program.

• Morgan’s Message staff review each application and select students who meet the qualifications.

• All new ambassadors attend a 45-minute onboarding Zoom call with Morgan’s Message Staff

  • Overview of Morgan’s Message

  • Review of expectations for the ambassador role

  • Introduction and explanation of Morgan’s Message Guiding Principles

    • Emphasis of role as peer leader NOT a mental health professional

    • Morgan’s Message is not clinical - these groups are not group therapy but rather education-driven and focused on building community

    • Reminded to contact mental health professionals at their school as they establish the group

    • Reminded about national crisis resources and the role they can play in amplifying local resources in their community 

  • Outline of mental health programming/materials provided for use on campus

  • Description of support systems in place to guide students - Liaisons 

• After onboarding, each campus is assigned a liaison, Morgan’s Message staff member, who serves as the point of contact for the ambassadors on a campus

• Liaisons assist in the following ways:

  • Provide mental health programming/materials as needed for monthly meetings and events

  • Support planning of larger campus events 

    • Announcement for use at dedication events

    • Morgan’s Message brochure to disseminate 

    • Free stickers, wristbands, and awareness ribbon pins for athletes/staff involved in event

    • Logo for use on posters and/or shirts

  • Offer guidance on establishing/maintaining a chapter 

  • Help students navigate any roadblocks and/or assist with meeting/event preparation

  • Serve as mentors to ambassadors - all liaisons are former student-athletes, now college graduates, who are passionate about mental health

• All onboarded ambassadors will receive a login for our resource portal.

• Programming resources are FREE and developed by professionals on our Medical Advisory Council

• MMEP resources are designed to be shared peer-to-peer, facilitated by ambassadors

• Our programming structure guides students through the resources in chronological order, with the opportunity for students to select sub-topics that are most relevant to their community 

• 2024-2025 MMEP Programming Structure:

  • Session 1 - Morgan’s Message 

  • Session 2 - What is Mental Health? (includes Grounding Skills Toolkit)

  • Session 3 - Mental Health Stigma

  • Sessions 4-6 

    • Mental Health Challenges

    • Coping Skills for Stress  

    • What is a Crisis and Best Practices to Navigate a Crisis 

    • Suicide and Suicidal Ideation 

    • How to Support a Teammate 

    • Navigating Stress

  • Sessions 7-10

    • Navigating Relationships and Setting Boundaries 

    • Sleep Hygiene 

    • The Role of Identity in Mental Health 

    • Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating 

    • Performance Related Anxiety