I would like to bring a program to Dawson’s Upper School that centers around mental health and addiction awareness. To do this, I need your signatures to bring to the school's administrators. This program, entitled Between the Bells, was created primarily for highschoolers but would also benefit teachers and the school’s community as a whole. The program is run by the nonprofit To Write Love On Her Arms which strives to bring awareness to mental health and substance abuse in order to provide better resources for communities across the globe. In this program, TWLOHA provides teachers and administrators with a week-long guide of unique activities that can be scaled to fit each school’s needs and various participation levels. Mental health is of utmost importance to the wellbeing of our community. While we learn essential thinking skills in classes, our education often lacks information on how we take care of our minds and our hearts. Dawson’s mission is to be dedicated to excellence of mind, body, and character. In order to prepare students to become creative, resilient problem-solvers who bring their best to the world, we must talk about challenging and relevant subjects such as mental health and addiction. We must give support to those who are struggling. We must start conversations that will continue to better our community. This is how we can begin.

Learn more about the program here.