The Mental Health Club at iPrep
By Alex Rabaron, sophomore, iPrep Academy
By Alex Rabaron, sophomore, iPrep Academy
What is the purpose of this club?
iPrep’s Mental Health Club was created to work towards reducing the negative stigma about mental health in our student body (and more) by offering innovative experiences meant to help students comprehend mental health. Some of the innovations planned for this year (and years to come) are that club members are in charge of organizing meetings, creating playful stress-relieving activities, having group mental health checks, and more that will come this year. The Club meets Wednesdays in rooms 221 and 222 (Mr. Major or Ms. Hankallori’s ) classroom. They talk about various struggles including nutrition, sleep, relationships, stress management, and more.
History of mental health clubs in school?
Mental Wellness Clubs (found here) is an MDCPS initiative which can be found at schools all around Miami-Dade County. According to MDCPS Mental Health Services, they are “youth-led groups made to promote mental health awareness, and work towards providing safe spaces in communities and schools.” The website also includes different activities schools can do: concerts, care packages, fundraisers, and yoga. MDCPS also provides different resources for students, such as a wellness program covering topics like suicide, alcohol, drugs, and more.
iPrep’s Mental Health Club was created to work towards reducing the negative stigma about mental health in our student body (and more) by offering innovative experiences meant to help students comprehend mental health. Some of the innovations planned for this year (and years to come) are that club members are in charge of organizing meetings, creating playful stress-relieving activities, having group mental health checks, and more that will come this year. The Club meets Wednesdays in rooms 221 and 222 (Mr. Major or Ms. Hankallori’s ) classroom. They talk about various struggles including nutrition, sleep, relationships, stress management, and more.
History of mental health clubs in school?
Mental Wellness Clubs (found here) is an MDCPS initiative which can be found at schools all around Miami-Dade County. According to MDCPS Mental Health Services, they are “youth-led groups made to promote mental health awareness, and work towards providing safe spaces in communities and schools.” The website also includes different activities schools can do: concerts, care packages, fundraisers, and yoga. MDCPS also provides different resources for students, such as a wellness program covering topics like suicide, alcohol, drugs, and more.
On the main page, in the Resources Tab, there is information not only exclusive to children, but also access for parents to different resources. These include hotlines that parents can call in periods of need. There are also webinars available on the site for all, which cover topics surrounding mental health services for kids and parents, self-love, and trauma building.
How was this club started at iPrep and why? Maria Eduarda De Oliveira, a junior at iPrep, had the idea to start the club last year because she felt as if there were not enough resources around the school. She wanted to be able to talk to students in a safe and open space. Afterward, she turned to Arantxa Llamas, a junior at iPrep, to help create this club. Then De Oliverira asked Ms. Dominguez, Student Services Support Specialist, to sponsor the club. Thus, both students founded the Mental Health Club and are now the President and Vice-President. |
What are the future activities planned for this year?
The future activities for February 2023 month are to talk about relationships and have a group discussion. Dominguez explained that they are working on a school-wide event to help make friendship kits to aid the Family Resource Center. These kits will be given to kids that are being displaced from their homes and put in foster care. In these kits, kids will find toiletries, socks, school supplies, and trinkets. They are also planning to collaborate with crafty blogger Amber Kemp-Gerstel, an elementary mom, to host a self-care craft afternoon where kids will be doing self-care kits which is a collection of items that bring you joy, relief, relaxation, and other pleasant emotions. Then during May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, the Club is planning many activities. |
What does this club want to achieve?
This club does not only target mental health, specifically; however, they provide tools for stress management, eating patterns, and more. The club provides resources for students to talk about mental health in a safe and trusted manner. The goal of this club is to help students feel comfortable talking about their own experiences and problems concerning topics discussed in meetings. Officers in this club are also considered trustworthy, meaning all students can privately talk to them about their concerns. However, if there is anything of high concern or emergency, members will talk to Ms. Dominguez or our other counselors, Ms. James or Ms. McIntyre, for safety reasons.
How has the club helped so far?
Since I (author of this article) am a member of the Mental Health Club, I have experienced this club helping students by allowing them to have a “stress-free” club where they can talk in a safe environment. At each meeting, with a new topic concerning health, every member has a turn to voice their own opinion. This is important because numerous students feel drained from the amount of schoolwork they receive. It is vital to have a comforting environment to converse with other teens that deal with the same issues.
This club does not only target mental health, specifically; however, they provide tools for stress management, eating patterns, and more. The club provides resources for students to talk about mental health in a safe and trusted manner. The goal of this club is to help students feel comfortable talking about their own experiences and problems concerning topics discussed in meetings. Officers in this club are also considered trustworthy, meaning all students can privately talk to them about their concerns. However, if there is anything of high concern or emergency, members will talk to Ms. Dominguez or our other counselors, Ms. James or Ms. McIntyre, for safety reasons.
How has the club helped so far?
Since I (author of this article) am a member of the Mental Health Club, I have experienced this club helping students by allowing them to have a “stress-free” club where they can talk in a safe environment. At each meeting, with a new topic concerning health, every member has a turn to voice their own opinion. This is important because numerous students feel drained from the amount of schoolwork they receive. It is vital to have a comforting environment to converse with other teens that deal with the same issues.
To conclude, iPrep’s Mental Health Club works to help students learn more about mental health, create an open space, and talk about issues concerning kids in the club. Even though the club cannot handle mental health directly it helps to give resources and let kids know some people can help. Mental Health Clubs are not just in schools, MDCPS provides programs for kids and parents to talk about anything they're going through. Planning different interactive activities for students to de-stress and have a moment of calm in between classes. In conclusion, Mental Health clubs are an important inclusion not just in schools but in MDCPS as a whole.
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Image from Yale University
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