Sophia Fontecchio of Downingtown recently received the third annual Youth Scholarship, presented by the Chester County Suicide Prevention Task Force. The $1,000 scholarship is open to high school seniors in Chester County who contributed to school and community activities to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.

Fontecchio, a 2024 graduate of the Downingtown STEM Academy, became involved in mental health awareness and suicide prevention after losing a friend to suicide at the age of 14.

She became an advocate for suicide prevention and education legislation, and founded a local nonprofit, Let’s Bake The World A Better Place, which sells home-baked goods to fund a variety of local, national and international organizations.

Since starting in 2021, more than $17,000 has been donated to those organizations, including funds raised to create and distribute mental health care packages for local teens. 

“I am so honored to receive the scholarship. It means a lot to me since mental health awareness and suicide prevention is the reason that I started Let’s Bake the World a Better Place in 2021,” said Fontecchio, who will be attending college in the fall. 

Fontecchio added that her organization is actively looking for individuals to serve on its youth advisory board.

Chester County’s Suicide Prevention Task Force has the mission to decrease suicide through increased awareness and education. The organization is a collaborative partnership between the Chester County Department of Mental Health/ Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, survivors of loss to suicide, mental health and public health professionals, educators, healthcare workers, crisis workers, concerned neighbors and friends.

“Students throughout Chester County have dedicated countless hours to promoting awareness and education about mental health and suicide prevention, and the Suicide Prevention Task Force Youth Scholarship was created to recognize those efforts,” said Candy Craig, Deputy Administrator for the Chester County Department of Mental Health/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. 

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