St. John Bosco Catholic High School is using peer support to share healthy coping strategies through a student lead initiative.
Student senators, Maia and Myia, along with their peers - have created an Umbrella Project Bulletin Board.
The board enables students to write down stressors or struggles on a rain drop and stick it to the board, they then write a skill or resource they use to cope through it on a circle and stick it to the umbrella.
“The outcome is a beautiful umbrella full of things and actions that help each individual student cope. It also promotes sharing of resources in hopes of filling the holes in other’s umbrellas, or making other umbrellas stronger,” shared Colleen Kean, Social Worker at St. John Bosco Secondary School.
The initiative came about as an extension of the Umbrella Project, a program implemented in all Wellington Catholic schools that teach students skills of well-being to positively cope with the everyday stresses of life.
The idea for the bulletin board was a collaborative effort of teachers, EA, a small group of students, and Kean, who wanted something interactive and engaging for students to share their stressors and coping.
“The response has been so positive, we’ve seen students pass by, stop, and write a few things down,” said Kean. “I’m so proud of the student’s involvement and participation in this project.”
To learn more about happenings at St. John Bosco Catholic High School, visit their website or Twitter account.