Our students today face unique and profound challenges to their mental health and well being, without being adequately taught the skills to navigate them. 

We have defaulted to a mental health model of intervention and crisis management after our youth begin to show signs of suffering. But what if we finally went upstream and started to educate our kids about their brains before they begin to struggle?  When they do face inevitable obstacles, they will be better equipped with the knowledge and tools to navigate with resilience, build self-confidence, ask for help, and lessen the negative impacts on their mental wellness. 

This petition advocates for mandating mental health education as a core curriculum requirement in Jeffco High Schools

The Evergreen community has come together in a collectively beautiful way to support one another in the wake of a school shooting. Leaders in the community, in the legislature, and in the schools have all asked, “what can we do to help?” 

Endorse a standardized preventative mental health and wellness curriculum in our schools. Our recent school tragedy highlights the need for prevention as much as intervention. Teaching kids how to understand and achieve brain health and mental wellness is foundational in fostering learning, safety and lifelong well-being in school, in sports, in work, and in relationships. 

Since young people spend most of their time in school, our educational system is perfectly positioned to play a crucial role in building in this protective factor to help them thrive. With a wealth of robust research and evidence based programs available, a structured school-based curriculum will educate our students on topics like emotional regulation, stress management, brain health, digital awareness, communication, and healthy relationships. Normalizing this conversation will give our youth increased insight and empathy toward understanding themselves and others, while fostering a more supportive school environment.

We call on our Parent Teacher Organizations, School Accountability Committees, Jeffco School Board, Teachers, Principals, Superintendent and Governor to act now with our incredible community partners to:

• Establish mandatory mental health education as part of core curriculum for Jefferson County High Schools
• Fund educator training, curriculum development and implementation
• Engage teachers and experts to ensure quality content
• Publicly endorse and champion this effort

Sign below to join families, educators, and advocates in demanding that we start teaching our kids about their brains, empowering them to flourish not only in school, but in life.