On March 19, students and faculty from North High School and South High School attended the inaugural Nassau County Youth Wellness Summit. This event, sponsored by the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS), was the first of its kind in the region.
Representatives from 26 high schools across Nassau County attended this full-day event at the Brookside School Building in Merrick. The summit provided students and staff with resources to support overall wellness and mental health, including the prevention of teen suicide.
Participants engaged in a variety of activities to develop positive coping strategies and learn practical techniques that students and staff can implement within their schools. Grade-specific programming was provided for sophomores, who learned about self-worth and value, and juniors, who discussed transitions to college. The program included a panel discussion with college students who spoke about their own struggles with mental health disorders and how they accessed help.
Student representatives from the Great Neck Public Schools included Health Peer Leaders and members of the Active Minds club. They were accompanied by North High faculty members Kathleen Mueller-Carpenter, health department head, and David Cheng, psychologist; and South High faculty members Christopher Erickson, guidance counselor, and Jennifer Zash, psychologist.
