Nov 6th Event, SBCC’s Garvin Theatre is Free for Students
On Sunday, November 6 @ 4:30 pm, the Mental Wellness Center (MWC) is presenting Project Reboot, a 3-week screen time program that kicks-off with a compelling presentation by Project Reboot founder, Dino Ambrosi. The kick-off, at Santa Barbara City College’s Garvin Theatre, and will offer up new skills and habit aimed at countering the need for social media and technology to fill up our free time and ease pervasive anxiety and depression felt by so many.
Origin of Project Reboot
The launch of Project Reboot is a direct result of Ambrosi’s own struggles with unhealthy screen time usage when he was a student at UC Berkeley. While there, Dino found himself turning to his phone and social media as an antidote to his mental anguish. The uncomfortable emotions and anxiety he felt triggered mindless scrolling and ate up countless hours of his free time.
A summer internship at a NYC start-up exposed him to a more productive way to manage his emotions and free time and gave him the impetus to reinvent himself by deleting his social media apps and focusing on healthy lifestyle habits. He poured what he learned into developing the precursor to the Project Reboot course which he introduced at UC Berkeley called INFO 98, which is still being taught today.
New Program Presents Screen Time Class to the Public
Based on Ambrosi’s success with INFO 98, Mental Wellness Center is hosting Project Reboot’s Screen Time Initiative in Santa Barbara — the first time this important, potentially life-changing information is available to the public at large outside of a classroom.
“At Mental Wellness we are at the forefront of collaborating with other organizations in bringing content aimed at community residents who looking for mental health and wellness education, support and programming,” says Annmarie Cameron, Mental Wellness Center’s CEO. “When Dino first introduced us to Project Reboot, I knew right away that this program is speaking to a critical issue and offering a viable solution to social media and tech (over)usage; I was determined to support Dino and share this content with our Santa Barbara community,” Cameron added.
With lead financial sponsorship by Mental Wellness Center and the generosity of community co-sponsors — Cottage Health, Deckers Brands, Montecito Bank & Trust, SBCC Foundation, and Village Properties — the initiative is offered free of charge to all high school and college students (who can receive community service hours if they choose) and a $20 (suggested) participation fee for adults.
Project Reboot Components
- The Nov. 6 presentation will introduce participants to the concepts behind Project Reboot and teach them skills to reduce social media consumption.
- Participants invited to a weekly screen time challenge for each of the next three weeks, submitting a screen time report to an anonymous tracking system
- Two additional live Zoom meetings and challenges are also part of the program
- A Screen Time Competition is aimed at incentivizing participants to reduce their screen time. Raffle tickets will be awarded for attending the follow-up sessions and submitting screen time reports. Prizes include a Kindle e-reader, a year-long Headspace subscription, a smart alarm clock and REI gift cards.
Go to www.mentalwellnesscenter.org/project-reboot to enroll today. Early registration is recommended as seating is limited to the first 350.
About Mental Wellness Center
Now in its 75th year, Mental Wellness Center continues to fulfill its mission of advancing mental health and wellness in Santa Barbara County through the provision of three pillars of service to community residents of all ages experiencing and/or impacted by mental illness: 1) essential peer support and programming, 2) mental health education, and 3) safe, affordable housing.
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