DAY 22
You’ve Enabled 4 Students to Participate in a One-Week Mental Health Program
Together with To Write Love On Her Arms
🤝
What is your positive impact today?
Today, you’ve enabled four high school students to participate in an interactive one-week program to strengthen their mental health. This program, called Between the Bells, is designed for students in grades 9-12 to spark authentic conversations about mental health and to remind those struggling they are not alone. The program raises awareness and educates students about common mental health challenges, what help and resources exist, and how they can play a key role in challenging the lie that says we can’t talk about these things.
💚
Why is your impact important?
More than 1 in 3 high school students have experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness—yet students’ mental health struggles often go unspoken and they don’t receive the help they need and deserve. About 80% of those struggling will not seek treatment, meaning that about 12 million teenagers struggle silently. Even worse, teens are more susceptible to depression than adults and suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 14-18 year olds in the US. It’s also the most preventable cause of death.
⚒️
How are we achieving your impact together?
Our impactful partner for today is To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA). With their signature program, Between the Bells, they help schools spark conversations on campus and spread a message of hope and help.
This program provides teachers and administrators with a week-long guide of unique daily activities and resources to lead the conversations on campus. These daily activities, called Daily Action Steps, can take 10-15 minutes or less to implement during the school day while other suggested activities can be incorporated throughout the entire day to create additional opportunities for school-wide conversation and participation.
More To Write Love On Her Arms
To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) started in 2006 as a story about a young adult struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury, and suicidal thoughts. Today, TWLOHA is a nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with exactly these issues. They exist to encourage, inform, inspire, and invest directly in prevention, treatment, and recovery.
We are only asked to love, to offer hope to the many hopeless. We don’t get to choose all the endings, but we are asked to play the rescuers. We won’t solve all mysteries and our hearts will certainly break in such a vulnerable life, but it is the best way.
– Jamie Tworkowski; founder of TWLOHA
