On May 2, Student Council welcomed Liz Allen from the National Alliance on Mental Illness for a presentation on the ubiquitous topic of mental illness. The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a grassroots organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of all individuals who are in any way affected by mental illness. Ms. Allen first began her presentation by discussing the prevailing beliefs surrounding mental illness. This resonated with many students who either themselves deal with mental illness, or have friends and family who deal with this widespread issue.
In addition to presenting, Ms. Allen also provided each student with an informational folder that contained handouts with facts and statistics regarding the prevalence of mental health struggles, as well as resources for those who have questions or need assistance with mental illness. The folder also included information about the Ribbon Campaign, which asks students to tie a ribbon provided by the National Alliance on Mental Illness around a tree on State Street. The purpose of tying the ribbons to trees in a high traffic area is to bring attention to a widespread issue faced by people of all walks of life. Lastly, in presenting to Student Council, Ms. Allen suggested that Student Council and the general student body can raise awareness for mental illness at Ithaca High School.
As representatives to the Board of Education (BoE), we were interested in the BoE response to this prevalent issue, and specifically how the BoE plans to incorporate mental health education and support in IHS policy and curriculum. Luvelle Brown described a new mental health support action plan that will focus specifically on mental health education. He mentioned the recent discussion at IHS for spaces for meditation and anxiety relief. Also, Brown reported that funds have been allocated for mental education, to hire groups of teachers, psychologists and social workers to help address this issue.
Another administrator stated that work is being done to establish a new “emotional” curriculum that will be implemented in all levels, ranging from elementary schools to high schools. The curriculum will include counseling support and open dialogue and discussion. Another administrator described how the BoE plans to reach out to Student Council in the near future, to ask their input on the new curriculum and to elicit input from the other students at IHS. Overall, the BoE affirmed its support for mental health education, and described how the new IHS curriculum and budget will include various methods to increase mental health education at IHS.