We all know in a world with social media and high expectations, stress, anxiety and depression are more common in kids now more than ever before. But Dublin and Hilliard school districts are ahead of the curve and are fighting this.
For the past five years, Hilliard and Dublin school districts joined forces to create the Be Well program, which centers around continuing education for both parents and students about the growing number of social and emotional issues faced today.
“We are committed to meeting the needs of the whole child, not just the mind but emotional and physical well-being of our students,” Assistant Superintendent of Dublin Local Schools Tracey Deagle says. “and help our parents become connected to how they support their students.”
The program is a year-long effort to create a conversation about how parents and children can live safe, happy and productive lives. There are so many resources to help in any situation, whether that be mental health issues, stress, bullying or even just support in general – but many people don’t know where to look to find them.
In years past, there has been a focus on how to deal with vaping and protecting kids from the internet. The districts are always listening to new worries.
“As exposure to different and harmful factors becomes easier, it causes the need to pivot,” Deagle says. “As our society shifts around us, we need to be agile enough to shift as well and address the current issues of the day.”
A Different Mindset
With Be Well, Hilliard and Dublin school's encourage students and parents to speak up, to realize it’s okay to talk about issues that bother you and stresses that you are not alone. Every year, both Deagle and Clark meet with student advisory groups to get their thoughts and feelings on the overall direction of the program.
These meetings typically consist of seven students and one superintendent and are an invaluable resource to the success of the program. Students find common ground with each other and better understand that they all face similar issues.
“One thing that has really rose to the top of these conversations is this self-induced pressure they possess,” Deagle says. “They’ll say, ‘My teachers aren’t putting pressure on me, nor are my parents, but I have this tremendous pressure I am putting on myself and I don’t know how to let go of it,’.”
Another way students can be heard is through the Dublin City School District’s website. There is a button that allows people to report bullying or harassment and encourages them to speak up if they need a friend or assistance. This resource has proved to be extremely successful and breaks down the stigma of asking for help.
“I can see how young students are when they are thinking about self-harm or feeling isolated. It’s not a cluster or a regional thing, it’s from high school all the way down to elementary school,” Deagle says. “To be able to see that report come in and know we have a team of mental health experts that will take it from there helps me rest a little bit easier.”
Parent University
Each year, the program culminates in a Parent University event. Here several different themes and sessions are presented and discussion panels are formed. Students and parents are able to share experiences and resources, foster partnerships to coordinate efforts and improve student wellbeing.
“Our goal is to also empower our parents through awareness,” Superintendent of Hilliard City School District Vicky Clark says. “We want to bring awareness of issues and teach how to access resources and support that are in our own community that they may not know about.”
Each year, educators pick a book that helps parents and educators better understand students. Past years’ books have focused on topics like social media, depression and suicide. The 2020 book is The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed by Jessica Lahey.
The reception to these events has been positive and allows the Be Well initiative to develop and evolve.
“The most noticeable shift has been with our families,” Deagle says. “They are giving great feedback and appreciate the continued focus on this and the learning.”
Working toward the future
Community support alone from Hilliard and Dublin is the reason this program continues to be so successful each year.
“It engages the entire community as difference-makers in the lives of our students,” Clark says. “We really try to get the right people engaged in these conversations because we are the ones that can make a difference.”
From parents and students to school staff, business partners and even the police and fire departments, all parties are heavily involved with the future of this program. Clark mentions they hope to empower everyone with knowledge of where to find helpful resources.
“I hope we can continue to bring the conversations together and empower our communities to be able to tackle this together,” Clark says. “We tend to be more reactive; it is my hope that we can intervene and educate and put in as many preventive actions in place.”
Rocco Falleti is an associate editor. Feedback welcome at rfalleti@cityscenecolumbus.com.
