STURGIS, S.D.—On October 12, SBHS FCCLA member Trinity Smith (11) shared mental health coping mechanisms with Sturgis Williams Middle School 8th grade athletes.
Keeping a balance for students can be challenging, which is why Smith chose to explain ways to manage time and health.
“Many students, once they enter high school, are not prepared for the workload on top of their sports,” Smith said. “I wanted the 8th graders to be more educated on their mental health, so they know the warning signs and how to help themselves and their friends.”
After creating a PowerPoint presentation, illustrating causes of and ways to deal with poor mental health, Smith obtained permission to share those insights.
“I went to the middle school during their last hour,” Smith said, “and had the 8th graders come to the library and listen to the presentation and participate in the activity if they so chose.”
Staying actively engaged in school within academics and extracurricular activities may help individuals cope with mental challenges. On October 12 at Sturgis Williams Middle School, SBHS FCCLA member Trinity Smith (11) shared ways to deal with possible angst with eighth graders who will be transitioning to the high school next fall. In addition, she explained the FCCLA program and how to join it. photo by Darla DeKraai
STURGIS, S.D.—FCCLA Members organized a teddy bear toss and wellness bags to help their community. Juniors Nellie Wetsit, Paige Gorczewski and Zara Wallace (11) hosted the events during the months of January and February 2024.
Wallace said they “wanted to help people throughout the community,” so for their first project they focused on children in crisis situations.
Dropping off bears collected at their January teddy bear toss on February 28 at The Cornerstone Mission, FCCLA members share a moment. Pictured were Paige Gorczewski (11), Zara Wallace (11), a Cornerstone Rescue employee and Nellie Wetsit (11). photo by Mission employee
Teddy bears are often considered to be comforting, which is why students chose them to help women and children in the Black Hills community.
The teddy bear toss took place in SBHS’ West Gym on January 19.
“One challenge we had was “What if people forget to bring teddy bears?” To overcome this challenge we set up a booth with many different sizes of teddy bears that people could purchase if they forgot to bring one. We ended up receiving 107 teddy bears.”
In addition to selling stuffed toy bears at the event, FCCLA members crafted posters, flyers, announcements and social media posts to promote the cause and toss.
Continuing their focus, helping children, they added items to the their February project: wellness bags created for children involved in domestic cases.
On April 10, Paige Gorczewski (11), Zara Wallace (11), Officer Tanner Weaver, Deputy Gary Rogers and Nellie Wetsit (11) deliver wellness bags created for children involved in domestic cases to the Sturgis Police Department. photo by police station receptionist
“We made 20 bags with extra teddy bears and fidget toys for children in domestic cases,” Wallace said.
Teddy bears were dropped off at the Cornerstone Mission Women and Children’s shelter on February 28. Wellness bags were delivered to the Sturgis Police Department on April 10.
To learn ways to help, contact local organizations, including The Cornerstone Mission.
According to the CDC, nearly one-third, or 29% of students struggle with mental health.
Three SBHS students involved in FCCLA have chosen to speak up and inform teens about mental health, why it matters and solutions to aid their struggles.
“Mental health is a topic that is highly overlooked. It is looked at as more of a problem rather than a reality,” Avery Fogelman (11) said. “Each person deserves to be educated and supported throughout the time they may be struggling.”
Taylor Keyes (10), Nellie Wetsit (10), and Fogelman are promoting awareness about mental health. They have spent the past several months educating and presenting to eighth grade students about mental health and the transition from middle school to high school. The presentations took place at Sturgis Williams Middle School from January and into April.
Members focused on educating eighth graders, because they know about and have already experienced stress that occurs due to the transition from middle school to high school.
“Mental health is a very important topic. I think transitioning from middle school to high school can be a very scary experience and middle schoolers need all the support and care they can get,” Wetsit said.
The members took numerous hours to create a slideshow, talking about what mental health is, different kinds of stress, how stress can be handled, signs of weak mental health and why exactly mental health matters.
“I knew immediately that I wanted to do a project focusing on mental health,” Keyes said. “I feel a lot of eighth grade students are stressed about going into high school and it is important for them to know they are cared for and not alone.”
When the presentation was completed, the team felt as if they made a difference and have hope that students will use information from this presentation to their benefit.
“Doing this project really showed me how a few students can tremendously affect younger individuals’ high school experiences,” Keyes said. “It is important to talk about mental health in order to address the problem and help students understand they aren’t the only ones that might be feeling that way.”
FCCLA members collected surveys from the eighth grade students after each presentation to evaluate the effectiveness of their program. The information gathered will be included in their portfolio, which they will take to the FCCLA state convention on April 23.
“Completing this project showed me why we started it in the first place. It showed the importance of talking about emotions and stress,” Fogelman said.
The efforts of these FCCLA members are commendable as mental health is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed more often in schools and in communities. It is essential to raise awareness and provide support for individuals who may be struggling with mental health issues.
By educating the 8th-grade students, these FCCLA members are making a difference in their community and helping to break down the stigma surrounding mental health.
“After this project, I had a better understanding of the number of students who feel stressed about going to high school. It showed me how important it is to promote mental health awareness,” Wetsit said.
On Jan. 17 in math instructor Dan Skinner’s classroom at Sturgis Williams Middle School, FCCLA members Avery Fogelman (11), Nellie Wetsit (10) and Taylor Keyes (10) talk with eighth graders about mental health. Creation and implementation of this project was to inform, help and promote open communication about the topic. photo by Dan Skinner
