Canton High School launches Bandana Project
By Mike BergerThe Canton School Committee has endorsed the efforts of PreK-12 wellness coordinator Adam Hughes in bringing the Bandana Project to the students of Canton High School.
Billed as a “simple mental health awareness and suicide prevention program,” the program empowers students to become resources and allies for those who are struggling with mental health challenges. By attaching a lime green bandana to their backpacks, students offer invaluable unspoken support for their peers while signifying that they are a safe individual to approach for mental health resources.
At last Thursday’s School Committee meeting, Hughes provided an overview of the Bandana Project and was joined by several CHS students who pledged their support for the program.
Launched in 2016 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Bandana Project has since been acquired by Suicide Awareness Voices of Education and incorporated into the SAVE family of programs for suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Many high schools across the country have embraced the project, although Hughes said CHS is one of only a few campuses in the area that have opened the program to all of its students.
In addition to displaying a green bandana, participating students will carry resource cards in their backpacks and will make themselves available to students in need of support. All students who participate are also asked to sign the Bandana Project Pledge, which includes a promise to listen and respond without judgment; make every effort to support those who ask for help; reject the stigma associated with mental health concerns and suicide; and keep all conversations confidential. In situations where a peer states that they are feeling suicidal, the students must agree to only share that information with a trusted school staff member.
Students will be working with Hughes and the CHS Guidance Department and administrative staff to launch the program. School Committee member Laura Arboleda praised the efforts of the CHS students and Hughes, noting, “Our community will benefit from what you are doing.”
In other news concerning mental health awareness, approximately 20 members of the CHS Active Minds Chapter recently participated along with nearly 400 other area students in the first-ever Kyle Cares Student Conference at Gillette Stadium. The conference featured keynote speaker Ivy Watts and several breakout sessions on mental health programming and strategies. Patriot players Mac Jones and Josh Uche also spent time with the students and offered their support for mental health. “Most importantly, it brought student leaders together for conversation and collaboration about an important topic for us all, especially young adults,” said Superintendent Derek Folan. “Thank you to the Kraft family and the New England Patriots Foundation for supporting the event and thank you to Adam Hughes for bringing this opportunity to the CHS Active Minds/Student Wellness Advisory Group…
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Posted by Mike Berger
on May 4 2023. Filed under News, Schools.
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