NORTH READING — The Yellow Tulip Project is a national movement working to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness and to build community by reminding people that there is always help and hope.
At North Reading Middle School, the members of the Early Act Service Club decided to plant a Hope Garden to show their support for this mission. Hope Gardens are created with yellow tulips, a symbol of hope. When communities come together to plant these gardens and talk openly about mental health, hope truly blooms.
“Our garden reminds us that NRMS is a safe space—one where our community supports its members, where everyone’s mental health matters, where therapy can help us understand our feelings, and where we look out for one another,” explains Laura Bowers, NRMS Early Act Advisor.
Last spring, club members painted beautiful depictions of yellow tulips and displayed the canvases in school’s foyer. The club also held a “Wear Yellow or PJs” day to promote mental well-being, during which many students donated $1 to help purchase tulip bulbs. This fall, club members planted 150 yellow tulip bulbs outside the main entrance of their school.
“Each spring, as the tulips bloom, we’ll be reminded of our shared commitment to erasing the stigma of mental illness,” Bowers said.