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Ellington students expand 'Suit Up Stand Up' to support athletes' mental health and boost extracurriculars
Summary
Students from the Ellington School District described a student-led program called Suit Up Stand Up that aims to reduce stigma around mental health for athletes, expand theater and tutoring activities, and reported higher student participation this year.
Students in the Ellington School District described a student-led initiative called Suit Up Stand Up that seeks to support athletes' mental health, broaden extracurricular offerings and strengthen school spirit.
“Morgan was a D1 lacrosse player, but unfortunately she died by suicide. So our goal is to support athletes in the school and eliminate the negative stigma surrounding mental health,” Student 1 said, describing the program's origin as an effort to bring students together and encourage open conversation about mental health.
The students said Suit Up Stand Up has expanded this year beyond costume and theater work into tutoring and hands-on skills. “We're working with the middle school's theater program, and we're helping tutor eighth-graders who are coming in,” Student 4 said. Students also described teaching thrifting for costumes, training on sewing machines, and operating props and lights.
Student 2 said the group has strengthened its branding. “We're way more branded into our Suit Up Stand Up than we have been in the past year. So, when parents walk in, they'll really feel the school spirit,” the student said.
Members highlighted growth in participation. Student 3 said previous cohorts had “roughly around 20 to 30 kids,” and Student 7 added, “We had 44 students accept it,” describing the current year's uptake.
Students emphasized that the program is not limited to costume design. “We have props and lights. We have a lot of new activities and clubs and more trips,” Student 3 said. They also noted schedule changes affecting class time: “Our new schedule, we just we have longer class times, and I feel like it's better,” Student 3 said.
The presenters positioned the initiative as both a mental-health support network and a set of expanded extracurricular offerings intended to increase student connection and engagement. Aside from the program's activities and branding, students spoke about producing yearbooks and promoting clubs such as math club as part of broader student engagement.
No formal actions, votes, or requests for district policy changes were recorded in the transcript excerpt. The remarks were delivered as student presentations and personal accounts of participation and program goals.
