In November, Kellie Rosenberger’s 10th-grade AVID class from Beaverton High School hosted a flashchat with Adrienne McCue, Founder, President & Executive Director of Step Up For Mental Health. Ms. McCue, who specializes in mental health education, has always stressed the important role that one’s identity plays in not only their mental health, but throughout their life.
Mrs. Rosenberger, recognizing the diversity in her classroom and inspired by Ms. McCue’s work, designed a unit in her class centered on mental health. In it, she challenged her students to learn about the nuances of mental health while also honing their research, critical thinking, and communication skills. Students identified specific groups of people — for example, Latinx families, athletes, and children of divorce — and explored relevant research to mental health. Through the exercise, students were also encouraged to explore their own relationship to mental health, and they ultimately developed infographics to share their learnings with others. Check out the infographics below!
This flashchat equipped students with knowledge and skills that will last them a lifetime both in and outside of the classroom. As high schoolers, Mrs. Rosenberger’s students are beginning to think about what their futures might look like and are taking active steps towards reaching their dreams. Their flashchat with Ms. McCue exposed them to career paths in advocacy and education, how to articulate and communicate their thoughts when speaking with professionals, and about different resources available to them. After their flashchat, Mrs. Rosenberger’s students said that they feel ready to tackle their future head-on—whether that be through pursuing careers in mental health or with the tools they learned from speaking with Ms. McCue.
Written by Ashly Paulino, DreamWakers Education Technology Intern
To learn more, follow Adrienne McCue & Step Up for Mental Health on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
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