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Middle school students launch 'Dirty Hands' club to boost mental‑health awareness
Summary
Two North Andover Middle School eighth‑graders described a new student‑led club, the Dirty Hands Project, that attracted more than 70 students this year, raised $1,250, and will hold a 5‑mile 'Hike for a Change' on 05/28/2026 for mental‑health awareness and suicide‑prevention.
Matthew Kolora and Cooper Serapac told the North Andover School Committee on May 14 that they started the Dirty Hands Project at the middle school to honor Ty Moen and to create peer‑led support for mental‑health awareness.
"So what we try to do with the club is we try to promote mental health awareness. We think it's very important," Matthew said, describing activities that included posters for Mental Health Awareness Month and fundraising that generated $1,250 for the club’s work.
The students said the club drew more than 70 members across the middle‑school grades in its first year and plans a 5‑mile local walk on 05/28/2026 — a club‑specific Hike for a Change — to foster conversation and community connection. They also said they intend to transition the club leadership to incoming eighth‑graders when they move to high school and to partner with an existing high‑school mental‑health club.
Why it matters: Student‑led efforts such as the Dirty Hands Project can expand peer support for mental health and normalize help‑seeking among early adolescents. Committee members praised the students for planning succession and for tying local activity into town‑level campaigns such as Hike for a Change.
What’s next: Committee members encouraged staff to help the students coordinate logistics and communications for the May hike and to work with parents and advisors to ensure student safety and transportation.
