In hopes to make a difference and advocate for the social and emotional well-being of their peers, Elmont Memorial High School students Elissa Acheampong, Alex Lalbachan, Videsh Muneshwar and Varda Qudratullah recently established their own student-led and community-based program, Empower Youthful Minds. Created outside of school, the program was brought to Elmont Memorial due to the collaborative efforts of the students, teachers and the counseling staff.
After receiving approval from the classroom teachers, the four students led their AP Research classes in a writing activity at the end of September in honor of National Suicide Awareness Month. The classes prepared handwritten letters of hope for individuals struggling with depression. Elissa, Alex, Videsh and Varda reviewed the 50 letters and arranged for the delivery to the Institute for Community Living, a New York City-based organization that supports individuals facing mental illness, substance use disorder and developmental disabilities. The students delivered the letters to the organization’s Senior Vice President Richard Anemone on Oct. 10, which is World Mental Health Day. Mr. Anemone stated that the letters will be incorporated into ICL's World Mental Health campaign.
This initiative directly supports the Sewanhaka Central High School District’s Tech Free Tuesday initiative, as the students handwrote the letters, while also demonstrating several of the district’s Portrait of a Graduate competencies.
Along with this initiative, the four students host community forums on mental health outside of school.
