To promote our mentors, my school began a monthly campaign where our members nominate a trained teacher as a positive mentor in their lives. Our Sources of Strength program has also focused on promoting one aspect of the wheel each month. With August being our first month of school, we started the year by focusing on mentors to introduce new students to our trained, trusted adults. This was also the first month we interviewed a mentor of the month. This idea began when we found a disconnect between the students and the teachers at our school. Students often don’t feel comfortable enough with their advisors to reach out for help when they are in need. There is a stigma surrounding reaching out for help, especially regarding our teachers. To solve this issue, we have found that students who relate to their advisors feel more confident reaching out for help. Our first trusted adult was an English teacher who was part of my school’s first group of teachers to be trained. By interviewing her, she was able to share information that could connect the students to their teachers. By establishing this connection, we hope that students will feel more comfortable communicating with their advisors in the future. In each interview, we also can promote our upcoming campaigns as further resources for students. For example, we asked our trusted adult questions regarding our upcoming Suicide Prevention Week to draw attention to its importance. This trusted adult shared a personal anecdote about why this message was so important to share.
