Teaching our youth resiliency makes today’s students tomorrow’s leaders | Opinion

The director of programs and grants for the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County describes how her organization and other key stakeholders in the Palm Beach School District are addressing the issue of students' mental health.

During May, Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s crucial that we turn our attention to a pressing issue affecting our community: the mental well-being of our youth. In Palm Beach County, we’ve witnessed a concerning uptick in mental health disorders among students in recent years. In the 2021 school year alone, nearly 3,000 students were referred to mental health professionals for counseling, with prevalent issues including depression, anxiety, school-related stress, interpersonal relationships and trauma.

Recognizing the urgent need for intervention, the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County has launched the “Resiliency Through the Community Initiative” in collaboration with the School District of Palm Beach County. This initiative, made possible through funding from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations through the Florida Department of Education, aims to equip our students with the tools and support necessary to navigate life’s challenges.

At the heart of this initiative is a series of resiliency training programs designed to empower children to cope with and overcome adversity. These programs focus on helping students manage their emotions and thoughts across various environments and stressors, teaching adaptive coping strategies essential for mental well-being.

In the initial phase of the program, master’s level clinicians were trained and placed in schools to pilot and deliver resiliency lessons, activities, toolkits, materials and coaching to students and families during summer school in 2023. The impact of this outreach has been profound, positively affecting over 3,200 students and families across 10 elementary schools. Feedback from respondents underscores the effectiveness of the program, with 80% reporting a positive impact on students and significant percentages noting the acquisition of essential life skills, resiliency, social support and solution-focused coaching.

We also provided an increase in Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to support the district’s goal of 80% or more of school staff being trained. Additionally, in collaboration with key stakeholders, we conducted a needs assessment and gap analysis, using data on students’ behavioral and mental health to shape our resiliency initiative for the current school year. Together, we’re committed to empowering our youth and fostering resilience for their future success.

While we celebrate these initial successes, we recognize that our work is far from over. The next phase of the initiative is already underway, as we continue to expand and enhance our efforts to help students throughout the community.

Building on the success of the 2023 summer program, the current phase of this initiative provides comprehensive services for students struggling with chronic absenteeism, truancy or involvement in the juvenile justice system. We will also contribute to the purchase of curriculum and professional development for teachers to support ongoing resiliency instruction district wide. We strive to deepen the resiliency of our students and families for years to come through these targeted efforts, which fortify student skills in character, personal responsibility, citizenship, critical thinking and honesty, ensuring their long-term success.

I urge our community to join us in prioritizing the mental health and well-being of our future leaders. By supporting initiatives like these, we can ensure that our students are equipped to thrive in the face of life’s challenges.

To learn more about our efforts or to donate, please visit educationfoundationpbc.org or email info@educationfoundationpbc.org. Together, let’s build a community where every child can grow and flourish.

Jennifer Ethridge, of Boca Raton, is director of programs and grants for the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County.