McNicholas High School will celebrate Teen Mental Health Day on March 26 during CREW. Thanks to the Joe Burrow Foundation, senior Hope Squad member Grace Reuss was able to secure a $1,000 grant to help organize this event in awareness of teen mental health. March 2 was Teen Mental Health Day, a day focused on raising awareness for mental health challenges faced by teenagers and ways to promote conversating about mental health.
Reuss discovered the grant opportunity from a post on Burrow’s Instagram page. The post stated that a $1,000 would be rewarded to schools that had applied in Greater Cincinnati, Greater Baton Rouge (Louisiana), and Southeast Ohio. Soon after applying on behalf on McNicholas, they were offered the grant and Hope Squad quickly began planning an event.
Hope Squad decided on a carnival theme for the March 26 event, in celebration of Teen Mental Health Day. Through this event Mrs. Amanda Duffy, school counselor, hopes that “with the ever-changing world out there,” she wants to be able to raise awareness for teen mental health. She hopes this is a fun event for students and that it shines a new light on speaking about mental challenges.
Reuss said that her hope for the event is that peers are able to have fun while still being educated on mental health. In addition, Duffy wants to use the carnival as a way to bring spirits up as we enter the final quarter of the school year and as exams approach.
At the event, there will be many different mental health-based carnival games for students to participate in. Some activities include a large wheel of emotions, bottle toss with selfcare ideas taped to the bottom, a chill corner where students can color, relax or do breathing exercises, an obstacle course, and so much more. Duffy said that she hopes adding the obstacle course will be a “fun twist” for students.
Duffy also wanted to add that “It’s okay to feel your emotions,” meaning that you do not have to hide the way you feel. Your feelings are important and valued.
The McNicholas Milestone 