The student leaders of Sources of Strength hope to create a more welcoming school environment through their initiatives. graphic courtesy of Sources of Strength
Students work to cultivate a welcoming and open culture around mental health at TJ.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 3.2 percent (1.9 million) of adolescents have been diagnosed with depression and one in five kids have dealt with some form of mental illness at some point in their life. It is an issue which plagues this next generation of adults and affects almost everyone, even if they’re not the one with the illness. Support is often found through friends or family but in some situations, one can’t always turn to people they know personally because of fear of judgment. There is a stigma surrounding mental health issues, which may prevent affected individuals from seeking help. Sources of Strength is a national club that aims to end this stigma and make high schools a safer and more accepting place for those experiencing mental health issues.
Sources of Strength began as a suicide prevention program in 1998 and has since spread to multiple schools across the country. The groups at each school are made up of adult supervisors and student leaders who work to create a positive environment and more welcoming culture. They do this through projects and initiatives such as designing posters to hang around the school or fundraisers to give back to the community. Emily Lupo, one of the adult supervisors stated, “I think Sources of Strength tries to create and cultivate a positive school culture and climate, focusing on the positive and your strengths.”
Sources of Strength is based around a wheel broken up into eight pieces, each one focusing on a different strength in a person. The pieces include mental health, family support, positive friends, mentors, healthy activities, generosity, spirituality, and medical access. Each month, the group at TJ works to promote one of the pieces on the wheel. One of the initiatives Sources of Strength did was focus on mental health by having its members appear on the Spartan Edition to give a positive quote for everyone to hear.
Sources of Strength wouldn’t be what it is without its student leaders who come together to create the initiatives to improve their school for themselves and their fellow students. Almost 60 kids make up the club here at TJ. These peer leaders are chosen through nominations by the teachers and staff for the qualities they display with other students. “We’re supposed to be leaders for others without a voice and to be there to give them information on whatever they need,” explained sophomore Rodney Morgan, one of the students in the club. The job of the student leaders is to take part in the initiatives to create a better school environment, and if need be, direct other students to places in the school where they can get the help they need. This might encourage students to seek help since they’re more likely to reach out to a peer rather than an adult. The student leaders are also the ones in charge of coming up with and executing the fundraisers and other initiatives seen around the school. Most recently, Sources of Strength put up posters around the school for Valentine’s day to encourage self-love for everyone.
Growing up is never easy, but often mental health issues come from areas people can’t control in life and getting help isn’t something that’s always available to people. Today’s generation of teenagers, however, are creating a more open and welcoming environment where getting help isn’t something that is looked down upon. Spearheading that change are clubs such as Sources of Strength at Thomas Jefferson, and the Spartans leading with open hearts and minds.
