Mind Masters Wellness Workshop
2nd Annual Event Taking Place on August 23, 2025 at The Skills Center in Tampa
The Jackson In Action 83 Foundation is proud to announce its newest program, “Mind Masters,” a wellness workshop for rising middle schoolers, will return to The Skills Center on Saturday, August 23. Middle school is a time of transition, so the intention is to get the youth who attend thinking about how they view themselves, how they handle mental and emotional stressors, and how to incorporate healthy coping strategies when faced with stress, pressures, and challenges. It’s our intent that the youth will adopt the practices, lessons, and strategies shared so they become mentally and emotionally resilient as they continue to grow. The event will again feature a keynote address from international speaker and mental health advocate Nate Evans Jr., while distinguished psychologist and executive coach Dr. Nekeshia Hammond will address the parents of the youth during a morning session to provide them with tools to help them navigate their child’s entry into their teenage years.
“We are excited to introduce the Mind Masters program, a project we’ve diligently developed since Vincent’s untimely passing,” said Lindsey Jackson, Jackson In Action 83 Foundation co-founder. “Our approach has been thoughtful and meticulous, focusing on the sensitive, yet vital, issue of mental health among young people. With this initiative, we are proud to extend our support to all youth in Tampa, beyond our traditional focus on military families, ensuring everyone has the resources to thrive both mentally and emotionally.”
Mind Masters, free for youth entering 6th-8th grades for the 2025-26 school year, will start at 9:15 a.m. Last year’s event included opening remarks by former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Ali Marpet. Nate Evans Jr. spoke to all the youth as a group before participants engaged in breakout sessions by age groups, led by Evans and Frameworks of Tampa Bay. In addition to the thought-provoking breakout sessions, the youth ended the day with their choice of an interactive therapeutic session with options that included yoga, art therapy, pet therapy, photography, and physical movement. This year there will again be opportunities for the youth participants to receive giveaways throughout the day, and everyone will go home with a bag that includes swag items, as well as information on additional mental and emotional health resources.
Thank you to the Florida Blue Foundation, Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation, NFL Foundation, Frameworks of Tampa Bay, Exalted Warrior, Dogs, Inc., Ryan Nece Foundation, Cindy Gierke, Jeff Kamis and the Jacob Kamis Foundation, and JIA83 Board Members Connie Gage, Rebekah Nault, and Ralph Sevelius for their support of this program.
