On October 29th, select students making up CHS’s Sources of Strength took a field trip to the conference room in the system’s central office. The group, sitting in a large circle, was there to attend a mental health training class.

Raina, was the student’s trainer. Different teachers participated in the group, including Coach Tucker, Mrs. Cunningham, Mrs. Moore, and others. There was a trainer named Raina who began the day by initiating a game.  Slowly, the group began to get to know each other and the group’s advisors, to the point where people didn’t have to rely on name tags anymore. 

When lunchtime rolled around, Chick-Fil-A boxes were brought in and the group continued to get to know one another. 

After lunch, the games slowed down a bit and the group began to discuss more serious issues. They all were handed Sources of Strength purple pamphlets. The front housed a colorful strength wheel, with various colors and divisions for each source of strength. The wheel read as follows: 

• Red for mental health 
• Orange for family support 
• Yellow for positive friends 
• Green for mentors 
• Dark blue for healthy activities 
• Navy blue for generosity 
• Purple for spirituality 
• Light blue for medical access 

Inside the booklet, several risk factors were highlighted including: drug use, increased irritability, risky behaviors, and other topics. 

The Sources of Strength team, many of whom are students in the school, are set to help identify and come to the assistance of others, whether by having a chat, referring them to a hotline (National Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255), or bringing the issue to a teacher.  

The team wants to make this school a more comforting area for all the students these buildings house. They’re hoping to have more meetings soon, so they can launch all-inclusive campaigns across the school.