Finding Your Spark at BHS
The underclassmen are showing their school spirit by leading the Elevate charge this year. Jasmine (10th grade) and Peaches (9th grade), two former members of our BE Above youth group from Edmunds Middle School jumped right in this year to help with Elevate activities and continue their passion for supporting healthy choices. Elevate started the year off with the message “Elevate your Spark” encouraging BHS students to find activities and groups at BHS that give them energy and purpose, to “find your spark.” We hope that the spark for some students will be getting involved with BHS Elevate! This year we are turning more of the reins of the campaign over to the students. Youth involved will develop campaign messages and plan activities that teach skills to support wellbeing and Elevate healthy choices.
One of the first activities of the year was Elevate’s recent table at the Seahorses Varsity soccer game against Essex HS on September 30th. We partnered with varsity soccer coach Mukhtar Abdullahi and the athletes to promote the game as a “Game for Change.” Varsity players started off the event talking about how “adults can show up for young people like us”, they shared that, “When a high schooler starts using, the drugs they almost always start with are nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis (pot). But none of them are good for a developing brain like ours. A teen’s brain is much more likely to develop an addiction quickly. We need our parents and community’s help by talking to us openly about these risks and helping us and our peers to make safe, healthy choices.”
To reinforce the message Elevate had a table at the game where students were asked to answer the question “What is one thing adults can do that helps you feel supported?” Repeating responses we saw often were:
“listen”, “talk to me”, “check in on me”, “hugs”, “be understanding”, listen without judgement”
Any BHS student who participated in the activity got to pick from our “pond” of rubber ducks that told them which Elevate swag item they got to take home. The stands were full of Elevate t-shirts and hats that night!
Coming up next, our BE Above prevention groups from Edmunds and Hunt middle schools will be heading to the Getting to Y training this week and to the Our Voices Xposed Youth Leadership Summit in November to learn strategies for talking with their community and decision makers about the substance use issues that are impacting kids their age. Our team are excited to join them and help provide opportunities for them to use their voices to advocate for themselves and their peers.