Introducing Mental Health Week at Annie Wright

Allison Fitz

Growing up in rural Montana, senior Lauren Bickle found that school-sponsored conversations about mental health conversations were few and far between. Since transferring to Annie Wright in eleventh grade, she’s also noticed a certain uncomfortability with the topic. She is setting out to change that.

From January 28 to February 1, Bickle and her fellow Model UN members will launch Annie Wright’s first ever Mental Health Week.

Student-led discussions on body positivity, academic perfection, and nutrition and exercise, will run during tutorial and club blocks in Mr. Burns’s and Ms. Everitt’s rooms.

Bickle’s goal is to work toward destigmatizing mental health, to answer big questions, such as “how to better ourselves,” and to make her classmates feel good. She also wants the programming to create a platform where students can voice what changes they would like to see next semester.

For students to get the most out of the sessions, they should come with a non-judgmental attitude and open mind, Bickle said.