How Teen’s Nonprofit Is Advancing Mental Health Policy and Access

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Sanjana Kavula. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Sanjana Kavula is transforming the way communities think about mental health—one policy, partnership and outreach initiative at a time. As the co-founder and leader of Project Pink Foundation, she’s spent the last three years advocating for better mental health resources, particularly for women and students, through legislation, education and community action. What began as a local initiative has grown into a nationally recognized movement, earning her honors such as Coca-Cola Scholar, NHS Scholar and FEF Scholar, and taking home awards from HOSA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

At the heart of Project Pink’s mission is the fight for stronger mental health access through policy change. Sanjana has led advocacy efforts at the Texas Capitol and the Frisco City Council, pushing for a higher counselor-to-student ratio in public schools and greater mental health education. Now, Sanjana and her team are taking their campaign to the national stage, engaging federal lawmakers in hopes of transforming how mental health is supported in schools across the country.

But Sanjana’s impact goes far beyond the halls of government. She’s spearheaded global initiatives to bring mental health education to underserved students in Thailand and China, and worked with Save Shine Africa to create culturally relevant mental health guides for refugee populations. Back home, Sanjana continues to cultivate a strong local presence through events like walkathons, mental health breakfasts and hospital volunteer days.

With nearly every corner of the globe affected by rising mental health concerns, Sanjana’s leadership provides a blueprint for youth-led change that is inclusive, culturally aware and rooted in evidence. Read on to find out more about Sanjana and the work of Project Pink Foundation.

Tell us about your volunteer role.

I’m the co-founder of Project Pink Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that ensures mental health resources are accessible, especially for women and girls, after we noticed a major gap in low-income communities. We started in 2021. My co-founder and I were in Dallas, and we read an article about Dallas being one of the worst cities for mental health. We were shocked by that, as we’d lived in Dallas for a while. We were shocked by the lack of mental health service that were provided.

At first, we started as a host of community projects. We’d go directly to nonprofits, schools and more. We just wanted to talk to them. We spoke to mental healthcare professionals about what could be done and what could be changed. Eventually, we gave some presentations, and then we compiled all of our data into a research report and pitched to SAMHSA. The data that we had compiled helped us get the funding to turn our movement into a nonprofit. From there, we started initiatives like Mental Health Mondays, mental health breakfasts, bringing in speakers from SAMHSA, partnering with other nonprofits and more.

Why is this issue so important to you?

Growing up, especially as a South Asian female, I learned that talking about mental health is pretty taboo in a lot of communities. It’s seen as a weakness and something that hinders people, especially in workforces. We noticed this in clinical research especially. A lot of this research also leaves women out. Much of the time, the claims are around women having “hormonal imbalances.” Sadly, that leaves them out of mental health research or clinical applications that actually do apply to them.

This applies with public health, with stigma and more, especially with women of color, and especially with young girls. We really wanted to create a community that not only normalizes mental health issues and includes women, but also equips them with tools to get help.

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

Currently, we’ve switched into more of a policy route, so we want to continue hosting advocacy days. We have two scheduled in April, and we’re bringing in high schoolers and college students to talk about issues they’re passionate about. A lot of times, young people aren’t necessarily getting a seat at the table to discuss the things they care about. And if they are invited to the table, it’s often an honorary role given to check a box of youth representation. We want to change that. We want to bring a lot more young people to the capitol and make their voices heard on issues close to them. We want representatives to hear from them directly, especially in this current political climate.

We’re also passionate about hosting a grant fund. We’re looking to start a fund and gather donations from people who are passionate about the cause. I spoke to students who are part of Project Pink and have some amazing ideas for workshops and resources, but don’t necessarily have the funding to execute those ideas. We want to provide that funding.

Another long-term goal we have is hosting more mental health mobile days. We want to ensure we’re reaching the right audiences. We’re looking to spread mental health services and resources to more rural areas. We’d like for mobile services to be distributed directly to these populations.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

Getting to speak with partners daily. Working on the policy side of things, which has happened over the last year or two. We’ve advocated for mental health curriculum and Title IX changes. We’ve spoken at the city and state capitols. This is exciting to me, because a lot of change starts directly in policy. There’s a lot that can be done by speaking to representatives. The organization is doing a lot in terms of changing the script that surrounds mental health, and that’s what I’m really passionate about.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

Start from the ground up. If something’s impacting you directly, do something about it. Often, it starts with going to a council meeting and sharing about your personal experience with an issue. Going and volunteering with an event related to that cause. We’ve recruited student workers and volunteers by going to mental health conventions, where people are really passionate. Get involved in the space, and you’ll find the right people.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

Get involved in a cause that’s related to you and that you’re passionate about. I’ve seen a lot of people trying to check a box, but if you want to see change – whether it’s with literacy or environmental policy or anything else – reach out to both grassroots organizations and large organizations. Ask if there’s any way you can get involved. From the nonprofit perspective, we will always take any help we can get. We’ll always find a position for people to serve if they’re interested. Don’t be afraid to reach out.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

The biggest thing I’ve learned is that youth voices are powerful drivers of change. Some of these people are still in high school or college, but these are the same people who will stay up until 2 or 3 a.m. trying to help you finish an application for a grant, or write out the code for your website. Youth are so powerful. Their voices need to be heard more and they need a seat at the table. They’re the ones building the future.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Sanjana? Find local volunteer opportunities.