American Campus Communities (NYSE: ACC), the nation’s largest
student housing company, announced a strategic partnership with the
Hi, How Are You (HHAY) Project aimed at tackling issues of mental
health among U.S. college students. The partners will launch a
training and awareness program in October 2019 for American Campus
communities located at more than 70 universities.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190513005191/en/
Community Assistant and UT Student Leo
Gutierrez, American Campus Communities CEO Bill Bayless, HHAY
Project Co-founders Courtney Blanton and Tom Gimbel, Community
Assistant and UT Student Victoria Omodele in front the mural by
Daniel Johnston. (Photo: Business Wire)
The iconic Austin mural asking the ever-important question, “Hi,
How Are You?,” painted by musician and visual artist Daniel
Johnston, motivated founders Courtney Blanton and Tom Gimbel (music
industry executive and Johnston’s longtime manager) to encourage
people to check in on one another and talk openly about their
struggles. The frog, made famous by Kurt Cobain’s love for
Johnston’s art emblazoned on his famous t-shirt, has become an
ambassador for mental health. With a focus to inspire young people
through music and art, the HHAY Project, founded only two years
ago, has reached maximum volume in a short time with a feature in
Billboard Magazine and coveted mention in Tim Ferriss’ “5 Bullet
Friday” e-mail newsletter among the extensive media coverage the
young organization has received.
Co-Founder Courtney Blanton was motivated by her own personal
experience: “As a college freshman, I lived in shame from my mental
health issues, hiding my Prozac in an Advil bottle and pretending
that everything was OK in public. After years of self-affliction, I
learned that healing came from openness. When I shared my personal
story, others were compelled to share their own. That life lesson
inspired me to create the Hi, How Are You Project with Tom. I am so
pleased to announce this special partnership with American Campus
Communities in May – Mental Health Awareness Month.”
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is
the second leading cause of death among college students, and one
in five students struggle with depression and anxiety. For most,
it’s their first time living on their own away from the support
usually provided by close friends and family.
Asking a student, “Hi, how are you?” is a simple step to start a
conversation about their well-being and let them know someone
cares. HHAY Project’s mission is to remove the stigma and open
dialogue about mental health. This mission will become a guiding
tenet for ACC’s residence life program, which offers events and
information that promote topics such as health and wellness,
personal finance, and sustainability to name a few. ACC’s student
housing communities have served more than 1.25 million students at
120 colleges and universities across the U.S. HHAY Project will
develop a series of training videos and supporting materials to
teach how to recognize signs of mental distress and offer resources
and support for residents and ACC staff. Residents will have access
to peer-to-peer support programs, and events related to mental
wellness and self-care.
“We hope the Hi, How Are You Project will become an anchor to
our residence life program as students’ mental health and wellbeing
continues to be core to our values,” said Bill Bayless, American
Campus Communities CEO. “ACC was founded in an Austin dorm room at
the Dobie Center in 1993, the same year Daniel Johnston painted his
mural across the street, with the vision to create communities
where students can thrive in college. Over the years, we’ve seen
heartbreaking loss at the universities we serve as students weren’t
comfortable reaching out for support with mental health issues. We
are fiercely committed to doing what we can to help change the
statistics. Good mental health and wellbeing is absolutely
critical, and our hope is that this partnership will create a
framework that raises awareness and creates a culture of open
dialogue on campuses across the nation.”
Each year on January 22, the Project hosts a worldwide “Hi, How
Are You Day,” an event aimed at educating people around the world
about the importance of mental health and well-being while
promoting inclusion. The centerpiece of the day is a free
live-streaming concert with a roster of acts playing covers of
Johnston's music. In 2019, the Hi, How Are You Day concert at ACL
Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, TX was headlined by the
Flaming Lips with a companion concert taking place in Auckland,
NZ.
In July 2018, ACC purchased the Goodall Wooten building, the
structure on which Johnston’s mural is painted. The company is in
the early conceptual design phase to turn the building into a new
student housing community with ground floor retail. There is no
definitive timeline for redevelopment, but there is a definitive
plan for the mural: it will be preserved in its current state and
protected throughout construction. To ensure this protection, ACC
worked with the City of Austin’s Historic Preservation Office and
the Austin Creative Alliance (ACA), a nonprofit that promotes art
in the Austin community.
About American Campus Communities
American Campus Communities, Inc. is the largest owner, manager
and developer of high-quality student housing communities in the
United States. The company is a fully integrated, self-managed and
self-administered equity real estate investment trust (REIT) with
expertise in the design, finance, development, construction
management and operational management of student housing
properties. As of March 31, 2019, American Campus Communities owned
171 student housing properties containing approximately 109,400
beds. Including its owned and third-party managed properties, ACC's
total managed portfolio consisted of 205 properties with
approximately 133,700 beds. Visit www.americancampus.com.
Facebook: americancampusInstagram: @americancampusTwitter:
@americancampus
About Hi, How Are You Project
The Hi, How Are You (HHAY) Project was created to generate new
conversation around mental well-being. The name and city-proclaimed
HHAY Day were inspired by Austin’s love for the iconic mural
painted by Daniel Johnston. On January 22nd (Johnston’s birthday),
people everywhere are encouraged to check in on a neighbor, friend,
co-worker, family member, or loved one and ask, “Hi, How Are You?”
The Project, created with the support of the Johnston family, funds
research grants, creates media and peer-to-peer training programs
that encourage open dialogue on mental well-being. Johnston is a
world-renowned musician and visual artist despite his own struggles
with mental illness. To learn more about how you can get involved
or to donate, please visit www.hihowareyou.org.
Facebook: hihowareyouprojectTwitter: @hihowareyouprojInstagram:
@hihowareyouproject
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this press release
contains forward-looking statements under the applicable federal
securities law. These statements are based on management’s current
expectations and assumptions regarding markets in which the Company
operates, operational strategies, anticipated events and trends,
the economy, and other future conditions. Forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve
certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict.
For discussions of some risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied
by the forward-looking statements, please refer to our filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 under the heading
“Risk Factors” and under the heading “Business - Forward-looking
Statements” and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. We
undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking
statements, including our expected 2019 operating results, whether
as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
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