VISIONS FOR SOLUTIONS

Bright Spots

"wellness centers "wellness centers "wellness centers are very helpful are very helpful are very helpful to kids who to kids who to kids who utilize them." utilize them." utilize them."

SO WHAT NOW?

"[Having]... resources available "[Having] resources available "[Having]... resources available at a school is really helpful at a school is really helpful at a school is really helpful because we get to talk about because ... we get to talk about because ... we get to talk about our problems ... without... our problems ... without... our problems without being at home and being at home and being at home and environment with our families environment with our families environment with our families for them to overhear" for them to overhear" for them to overhear"

Students from all across the south bay have now expressed their recommendations to make wellness resources more accessible, as well as highlighted what resources are already effective...

The next step is to implement these suggestions, the main two being to more adequately advertise wellness resources, and also to incorporate student voice into such programs, as youth spaces should have input from those they are meant to aid.

Ndings

rch illuminates the key issues and ce when it comes to their wellness: doesn t make room for them to explore personal interests and spend time with loved ones (pages 7-9)

Mental hea largely r students' ho Parents / fa aren’t suppo children’s m wellness c product a generation (page

Unrealistic expecta schools, and ev students to feel bo terms of school a The emphasis on creates a comp schools that pits stu

Current resources either aren’t effective or accessible to students. A lot of schools have mental health counselors or wellness centers, but are limited in availability or are not easy for students to access. (pages 1314)

Recommendations

Throughout our focus groups, one recurring theme came up: there are not many bright spots for youth’s holistic wellness in South Bay high schools. Despite a glaring lack of bright spots, our focus groups have clearly illustrated that youth know what they want and need, but they aren’t centered or involved when wellness initiatives are designed and implemented.

Adequately inform and connect students to existing wellness resources

Provide resources and tools for students to navigate mental health conversations at home

Empower students to have accessible platforms to directly influence mental health services and school decisions that affect them

Take measures to modify curriculum and workload to be less demanding and stressful for students (i.e. capping number of AP classes and/or extracurricular activities)

Address mental health not just in the school context but in the home / family context

E.g. Counter misinformation from social media that parents consume (FB, Wechat, Whatsapp)