About The Student Mental Health Community Board:
Student mental health is crucial because it directly impacts academic performance, overall well-being, and future success. Neglecting mental health can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and depression, hindering students' ability to focus and learn effectively. Many of these realities were highlighted by COVID-19 and continue to grow as a historically neglected support area in schools. Students have voiced these concerns, and change is necessary.
In order to address the student mental health needs highlighted above, Our Turn presents the Student Mental Health Community Board. The Student Mental Health Community Board provides a platform for students to advocate for their mental well-being and create real solutions while empowering students & growing community involvement. It offers a channel for students to voice their concerns, propose initiatives, and collaborate with the Atlanta School Board to implement effective mental health programs and resources tailored to their needs. Shifting the power solely from administrators/APS board members to collaboration among students AND administrators/APS board members highlights the importance of developing interventions that are for students by students. This channel of communication fosters students’ leadership skills and provides a system of checks for the Atlanta Public School Board.
Our Demands:
Recognizing the need for a student-led mental health advocacy group, Our Turn Georgia is demanding that the Atlanta Public School Board build a Mental Health Community Board for APS students. Our demands of APS are as follows:
- The Atlanta Public School Board established a fully student-led mental health community board for the 2024 - 2025 School Year.
- APS gives the Community Board the ability to advise on district-wide surveys, recommend policy, present at school board meetings and public forums, and request funding for system-wide programming.
- APS will pledge to recruit diverse student leaders to the community board.
Please join Our Turn Georgia in our effort to give students agency and a platform to create mental health solutions for themselves and their peers by adding your name to our petition. This petition & signatures will be presented to the Atlanta Public School Board at their May 6, 2024 school board meeting.
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