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When looking at advocacy for all students, it is important to note the different stressors in their lives. Whether it be from school, sports, home life, or friends many different factors play into a student's well-being. In 2020, we were all faced with a new and strange situation: the COVID-19 world pandemic. Since March of 2020, many students have been going back and forth from e-learning to in-school learning and there has been a great loss of social interaction. The Advocacy Issue that is the focus of the program is recognizing the different symptoms of mental health struggles and how we can help the students through the pandemic as well as post-pandemic.

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By the end of the school year in June 2022, 9th-grade female students will have increased coping mechanisms by 20% and decreased mental health issues by 40%.

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The program will be centered on the students recognizing the different symptoms of depression and anxiety, when to reach out for help, and how to cope with different triggers. Since the pandemic has started, there has been an increase in mental health issues in teenagers as well as an increase in symptoms of those with known mental health issues. The program will help to significantly increase the awareness of mental health issues as well as strategically teaching students different coping mechanisms and when to reach out for help.

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·        A.7.a, A.7.f, and A.8.b. In this program, there will be a weekly group counseling session for the students to help facilitate self-awareness and growth. When teaching these individuals what the symptoms are there will be a shift in the mindset on how to cope with depression and anxiety through different mindfulness meditations and other coping mechanisms.

·        A.3.a. Collaboration with all stake holders will be essential because there will be a clear definition of the symptoms in adolescents and when to report to the appropriate resource.

·        A.3.d. With using a data-driven program, the school counselor will be able to effectively measure the success of the program. At the beginning of the program the students will take a survey on if they understand the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety and if they have any current coping mechanisms. At the end of the program, we will collect an additional survey on the same data as well as if the student feels if the program was beneficial.

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GROWING UP MINDFUL - Teaching Mindfulness to Kids and Teens

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School Counselors- The school counselor will conduct a weekly group session during available time frames for all students to check in and conduct counseling session. They will come prepared with different coping techniques and mindfulness meditations to teach the students. The school counselor will provide a safe space for the students to openly communicate their struggles with confidentiality in mind.
Teachers- The teachers will be educated on the different signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety in students and communicate with the school counselor (when appropriate) the need for group counseling.
Parents/Guardians - The guardians will also be educated on the different signs and symptoms to look for in teens with depression and anxiety and will be given the appropriate communication resources to reach out to school counselor.