As students, our mental health should be of utmost importance. According to the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement, roughly 1/5 of students have considered suicide. With these statistics, we would like to partner alongside the Orange County Public School District (OCPS) in improving the mandated 5 hours of mental and emotional health education.  

Through the OCPS Superintendent's Student Advisory Council, projects and campaigns have been initiated to support students' mental health. These campaigns, prominently known as NOLA (No One Left Alone), provide additional attention to our students' mental health. 

The OCPS Superintendent's Student Advisory Council asks that you support our endeavors in changing our mandated 5 hours of mental and emotional health education. We ask that OCPS:

- Ensure that OCPS collaborates with students as the lessons are updated per the upcoming school years

- Provide opportunities for students to give input based on student perception of mental and emotional needs and review curriculum before it is published

- We hope that this involvement is continued past our current academic year as the curriculum advances

In order to continue protecting the safety of students through the advancing of mental health education, action needs to be taken. We thank you for reading our message and encourage you to sign our petition for the well-being of OCPS students. We thank the OCPS Superintendent for supporting our endeavors regarding this issue.

Sincerely,

Members of OCPS' Superintendent's Student Advisory Council