Because Mental Health Matters
Kindness Grows Here knows how important mental health is. Children are suffering from the highest rates of depression that we’ve ever seen.
We know that kids must first be kind to themselves, believe in themselves, and take care of their mental health, before they can begin to think about being kind to others.
As such, 3 years ago, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we partnered with Hunti’s Hope Hunters to create an outdoor, socially distanced, engaging, & fun “Walk for Mental Health.”
This program was designed by Kristen Caminiti, a clinical social worker, and Erica Chandler, a school psychologist.
Realizing how well received this was, we have since brought this walk to a number of schools and libraries. And we want to make it available to as many communities as possible.
The walk involves a series of 14-yard signs. They are designed to be placed outside and spread apart so that children and families can stroll from one sign to the next. But, they could certainly be set up inside as well.
The series of signs educates participants about a wellness wheel, which identifies 8 aspects of health, that when well balanced, help us all to be healthy & happy.
Participants are each given a handout and asked to walk from sign to sign, where they learn about each aspect health and some strategies, they can use to help improve that area of health. Participants are asked to choose one specific strategy they will work on for each aspect of health and write it on the handout.
At the end of the walk, when the handout is completed, participants are given a “brag tag” that they can use as a reminder of the importance of taking care of all aspects of health, in order to be a healthy individual who is kind to themselves and others.
We love when schools use this program in a way that empowers students to become the educator and then teach their family. Schools can use this program during the school day, and then students can return with their family, where they have an opportunity to be the “expert” and teach others all about mental health.
If you’d like to bring this program to your school, library, park, or community, click here and complete this form:
