In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, an assembly for all students was held at Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose to discuss teen mental health and best practices to support each other. The assembly was the brainchild of Emma Litvinsky, of Cortlandt Manor, a Hen Hud junior (at the time) who belongs to Sailors Supporting Sailors, a club at the high school whose purpose is to raise mental health awareness and help student athletes learn how to manage stress.
With the support of Hen Hud High School Principal Lauren Scollins, the assembly was held across two periods to enable the full student body to attend, from freshmen to seniors. To support her effort, Emma reached out to Minding Your Mind, a national mental health non-profit organization that provides mental health education to students in kindergarten through college. The mission of the non-profit is to end the stigma and destructive behaviors often associated with mental health issues.
Minding Your Mind provided a compelling speaker, Kristen, who shared her personal mental health challenges as a teenager and how she achieved wellness by learning coping skills.
To further augment awareness, Emma created a visually impactful exhibit utilizing lawn flags. With the help of members from the Sailors Supporting Sailors club, on the front lawn of the high school, they planted variously-colored flags representing teens dealing with different mental health challenges. Each flag color corresponded to an issue that adolescents deal with …
- Blue: Depression
- Purple: Anxiety
- Green: Suicide/Suicidal Thoughts
- Orange: Eating Disorders
The assembly and flag exhibition were so successful that Emma’s school wants to make this an annual event. As Emma says, “Creating an event and a safe space to hear about challenges that we as teens might be facing is really important. I wanted to help foster conversations about mental health so we can support each other and not feel alone when we’re going through a difficult time. Our school wants to do this every year so the hope and healing that come from us supporting one another is a legacy that will continue at Hendrick Hudson.”
