Student ambassador urges expanded summer mental health supports for Westminster students
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Summary
Student ambassador Anna Lopez asked the board to prioritize mental-health resources during summer break, proposing drop-in counseling hours, a summer check-in campaign, digital resource guides and library partnerships.
Anna Lopez, the district's student ambassador, told the board on May 27 that the end of the school year can remove supports students rely on and that summer can exacerbate mental-health struggles for some.
"A significant number of students find summer to be a period of instability and struggle," Lopez said. She urged the district to expand summer mental-health supports, proposing measures including opening counseling hours for drop-in or virtual check-ins, weekly mental-health newsletters with grounding exercises, a summer check-in campaign for at-risk students, and a summer mental-health resource guide listing local therapists and crisis lines.
Lopez also suggested partnering with local libraries to promote books on mental health and emotional growth and asked the board to prioritize outreach for students who do not raise their hands when they are struggling.
Board members thanked Lopez for the perspective she brought and presented her with a certificate of recognition and a personalized pen.