Wind River Middle School’s Healthy Student Club is the newest club in the Stevenson-Carson School District. This student-led club’s first goal they identified focuses on raising mental health awareness and reducing the related stigma on campus through peer-led activities and education.

How did the club begin?
One Prevention Alliance Community Coalition’s primary goal is to provide our youth information and opportunities to help them make healthy decisions as they learn, grow, and navigate their world. Early prevention, education, and intervention is essential in achieving this goal. Since our high school students have successfully addressed these same issues through their club, Stand Up 4 Teens, it made sense to bring the same opportunity for personal and community growth and improvement to our middle school students. The hope is that some of these middle school students will continue this work when they get to Stevenson High School.

Why mental health?
At the first meeting, students spent time identifying the many different topics and directions the club could focus on. Some of the ideas included: nicotine and vaping prevention, mental health awareness, how to manage anxiety, how to have a growth and positive mindset, and physical health. Most of the 20 students in attendance spent time talking about what is important to them concerning their personal and community-level health issues, and what other topics they would like the club to address. Every student gave input on potential topics, with mental health being identified as the top priority to start with. “We don’t want adults coming and talking down to us about our mental health,” shared one student on that first day together as a group. “We want to take the information to other students in our building.”

Several other club members chimed in sharing similar sentiments, and it became clear that these middle school students (ages 11-13) were determined to deepen their own understanding about mental health-related issues, and learn about possible solutions and approaches that could be shared with their peers and implemented at school.

To support their efforts, club members will be empowered to lead the effort to help educate other students about mental health-related topics through the use of toolkits, materials, and resources provided by One Prevention Alliance Community Coalition.

The club’s first student-identified task is to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health concerns. For the next several weeks, students will learn about strategies for reducing the related stigma within their school. Their first step will be to design educational posters. After they agree on the top designs, they will ask other students for input, using this step to pilot the concept of a peer-based focus group. Club members are excited to improve the acceptance of all students, regardless of mental health status, within their school. The students have identified the need to connect their peers to the appropriate resources necessary to improve one’s mental health. These students are enthusiastic, engaged, and passionate about helping to ensure that all students feel safe to reach out for mental health support.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing if our posters were so awesome that other middle schools in the Gorge asked for copies to put up in their schools,” commented one club member.

Healthy Student Club is open to all 7th and 8th grade students who are interested in mental or physical health, or in advocacy. It is not a support or therapy group.

Article written by: Karen Douglass
Community Coalition Coordinator
One Prevention Alliance.