Equity in Mental Health Education How Three MA Seniors Are Enhancing Access to Mental

Health Education for Youth in Marin

Before you dive into this article, take a moment to think about what drew you to Marin Academy in the first place. What makes Marin Academy so much more than a traditional college preparatory high school? Maybe you were drawn to the rich academic program, the incredible faculty, the legacy of excellence, or the beautiful facilities, or maybe it was because when you stepped onto campus, you could feel something more profound, a spark in the air, a distinct way our students interacted with each other and the world at large. The story you are about to read is about three passionate, driven, conscientious student activists inspired by our relevant and intersectional approach who harnessed that spark to make a difference in the world.

Mona M. '25, Mika K. '25, and Genevive Z. '25 are best friends, collaborators, and co-founders of Mindful Futures: Empowering Youth Wellness For All in Marin County. These seniors have adopted leadership roles in various programs at MA like IDEQ (Identity and Equity) groups, student clubs, athletics, theater, music, arts, Crossroads, and our HumDev TA (Human Development Teaching Assistant) program. Their varying experiences and their interest in making a tangible change in their community have driven them to ideate and launch Mindful Futures which addresses the mental health educational disparity between Marin's school districts and, in doing so, addresses mental health equity. Mindful Futures' mission is to further conversations surrounding mental health by focusing on educating and providing resources for young people between 10 and 14 years old. They work with local community programs to provide accessible mental health and wellness resources and education to children in Marin County.

Mona, Mika, and Genevive are very intentional when they speak about addressing mental health inequity. Mona shares, "Before my 9th-grade HumDev course, I thought that the terms equity and equality were interchangeable, which they are not. An example of the importance of equity that we learned about in HumDev was public school education in Marin County. The stark disparity between certain schools' resources, merely because of the town they were located in, stuck out to me. In these situations, equity is important in distributing resources to the schools that need them the most. This is the most effective way to attempt to 'level the playing field,' so to speak." Genevive adds, "A lot of people think that by giving everyone the same resources and the same opportunities, it will solve any gaps in privilege across different identities. But that's just not the case, and I think many people are hesitant to follow the philosophy of equity because it feels unfair to give different people different resources depending on their needs. I've heard this sentiment again and again in different ways, and every time, it makes me wish more and more that more people had access to what we learn about in HumDev because it's made me a better person, and I really believe it would make the world a better place."

Throughout the HumDev program, students are asked to develop an understanding of the influence of social institutions, clarify their values and communicate them to others, understand the impact of their actions on self and others, and practice the tools necessary to support healthy relationships and make decisions that align with their ethical framework. Class activities and discussions are meant to strengthen students' self-awareness, communication techniques, and decisionmaking skills. An integral part of the HumDev program, led by long-time MA teachers Nicole Stanton and Sanjai Moses, is peer-to-peer education. In Mika's junior year, she joined the HumDev TA program.

Although it requires rigorous training and regular meetings, Mika feels "grateful to be a HumDev TA as it holds a unique position as you're both a mentor, peer, and friend. There's a lot of responsibility with this dynamic, and I feel truly honored to be a part of HumDev, which I feel is integral to MA students. My experience as a TA, both my training and leadership growth, has given me the tools and skills for the programs we lead."

HumDev wasn't the only opportunity at MA that developed these students' leadership skills and community activism. All three young women also lead clubs and IDEQ groups. Mika and Genevive co-lead the Mental Health Awareness (MHA) club on campus—a space for all students to share their experiences, gain a wider perspective, and discuss important issues to destigmatize and normalize mental illnesses. Mika shared, "At my previous schools, the subject of mental health was never discussed, at least not beyond the surface level. But at MA, suddenly, this taboo topic was taught and observed through a completely different lens, one which promotes education and support instead of what is usually associated with mental health: judgment and fear, also known as mental health stigma. I learned that talking about mental health and addressing your needs beyond just physical health is not shameful or embarrassing." Mika shared that her entire life changed when she moved to the United States in 2019, and with that came mental health challenges. She was fortunate to have supportive parents and access to resources. Through her "ongoing journey with mental health, [she] realized that not everyone has the necessary support and financial assets to address their needs. [Her] passion for mental health advocacy sparked, and [she] decided that beyond just spreading awareness, [she] wanted to make true and real change. And sometimes, change has to go beyond words, hence the inception of Mindful Futures." Genevive, on the other hand, felt she had a decent amount of knowledge about mental health. Still, she shared, seeing the statistics "in front of me put into perspective how common and how real mental health and mental illness are... What stood out to me was that 1 in 5 adults struggle with mental illness, and half of all mental health issues begin by the age of 14." She feels "talking about issues of mental health and even suicide can be uncomfortable and difficult, but the more we try to sweep these issues under the rug, the more people struggling will have to suffer in silence."

MA launched its Identity and Equity (IDEQ) program 20 years ago. While the groups and offerings have changed over time in response to our student body, our student-led IDEQ groups strengthen our community by celebrating and affirming our identities. Mona and Mika are co-leaders of the WOC (Women of Color) group. They have found tremendous support through their adult advisors and experiences as student leaders. Mona says, "As a co-leader of WOC, I think leading meetings and planning activities gave me the experience and leverage I needed to create and execute lesson plans for my work with Mindful Futures."

With the knowledge, support, and that MA spark, these three young activists reached out to Davidson Middle School's DXL program in San Rafael. This after-school program is designed to provide a warm and supportive environment where students are encouraged to embrace their talents and challenged to develop critical academic and socio-emotional skills. Mika, Mona, and Genevieve jumped right in to lead "Empower Hours" where they led groups of over 150 kids in art therapy, had discussions surrounding mental health and wellness, and brought in representatives from NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) to speak to the students. One powerful activity they led was "What would you do?" where they presented students with hypothetical scenarios involving mental health, like a friend struggling, and then gave the students options of responses, or tools, they could explore. Following pair shares, they led meaningful and authentic group discussions.

This summer, Mindful Futures partnered with Camp Chance, a week-long residential summer camp led by the San Rafael Police Department and the Marin County Office of Education at Walker Creek Ranch. The program, which works with youth aged 1113, was delighted to add the Mindful Futures curriculum to the program. At Camp Chance, Genevieve led activities around the therapeutic benefits of art, gardening, and journaling, Mona led a meditation station, nature walks, and breathing exercises, and Mika put her TA experience to use by guiding more class-like sessions and assemblies. Mika shared that in her program, she "led different dialogues surrounding mental health, addressing things like how the intersectionality of identity (gender, age, socioeconomic status, etc.) correlates to how society perceives/treats you, and how young people can navigate that." Through this work, Mindful Futures created a safe space for young people that allowed and encouraged vulnerability and genuine human connection.

When asked about the most important messages they wanted to share with their community, they offered this wisdom: From Genevieve, "Teaching students in schools everywhere about mental health and giving them tools is obviously an awesome goal, but it's unrealistic if we aren't able to talk about it with our friends and family. So check in on your friends and family, and don't be scared to open up about your mental health as well." Mika offered, "We're constantly surrounded by unrealistic expectations, a competitive atmosphere, and high-pressure settings. It's easy to get lost in the belief that academic success is more important than mental health, but our mental health connects to every single aspect of our lives, including your ability to pursue academics in a healthy and balanced way." Mona adds an invitation for the MA community, "We are also always looking for new people to connect with and new ways to collaborate with others, so if you are interested or know anyone who would be interested in the work that we are doing, please reach out to us at mindful.futures. project@gmail.com."