The week of May 7th, Lily Levin (’19), Krishan Guzzo (’19), and Elizabeth George (’19) organized a Mental Health Awareness week full of activities and fundraisers. The students made a website (which can be accessed here) for students to access general information and resources in regards to maintaining a “healthy state of mind”. There are a lot of helpful tips and resources for students, from test-taking strategies to suggested activities and mindfulness exercises. The website also provides information on how to reach out to crisis hotlines to help students that may be struggling.

Ms. Ellen Gooding, the school counselor and psychology teacher, consulted with the leaders to help them reach out to the student body. As Ms. Gooding explains, “the main goal of the program is to kill the stigma associated with mental illness, to bring it out in the open and make it easier for people dealing with mental illness to not be ashamed”.  

As part of their efforts, the three students gave handouts to students to increase mental health awareness through the spread of information. Some of the papers also had information on what to do if one of your friends becomes or is suicidal, and films were also shown throughout the week to encourage discussions in regards to mental health representation. There were also stress relieving activities that were a hit among students such as coloring books, eating food, and listening to calming music. In addition to helping the students at Cary Academy, the week featured a donation drive for the National Alliance for Mental Illness, where students who donated received a green ribbon to show their support.

Overall, the Mental Health Awareness Week was a success in both spreading awareness and making a difference within our community.