Chill with Mr. O

Funded Nov 15, 2024

Growing up is hard work. It sounds cliche, and that's because it is, for good reason--it's true. Teenagers today have a barrage of inputs and stressors in their lives, some of which they have time to process, others not. All teenagers today were in elementary school or middle school when the lockdown occurred in 2020-2022. It's hard to say if teens are more stressed today because of having lived through that time period or not. What we do know is that teenage anxiety and depression are at an all time high.

As a high school social worker, it's my job to give students a safe, non-judgmental space to share their thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears. For some that comes naturally, for others it take a bit more time. Receiving the resources for this project has allowed me to give my students tools to deal with their anxiety and stress. The books pictured have helped validate my student's feelings and given them reason to believe that there's hope for living more calm and enjoyable lives. This sounds easy enough but we know it's not. Thank you for the support to make this project a reality.”

With gratitude,

Mr. O