Mental Health Awareness Week: In-Person Activity Ideas (Elementary Schools)

These are vetted suggestions compiled by MCPS or provided through our partner organizations. With the support of your Student Wellbeing Team, make changes or create your own activities that fit your school community and its needs.

• Work with your Student Well-Being Team (SWBT) and/or the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) to select, prepare, and disseminate the activity the team selects for use at your school during Mental Health Awareness Week.
• If you are a Leader in Me (LiM) school, consider including your LiM Coach to identify LiM resources related to mental health for use during this week.

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• To give your school-based mental health providers time to support the week’s events, consider blocking off set times during the week (i.e., no meetings) if possible.

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• Involve student leaders in choosing, adjusting, and/or creating an activity that fits your school community.
• When appropriate, ask them if they want to lead the activities (with adult support).

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• Make a schedule of the events throughout the week (see an example).
• Consider picking a certain color/theme for the day related to key mental health messages.

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• Elementary schools can recruit student volunteers from their cluster’s middle schools and high school and offer them Student Service Learning hours for helping with preparing the activities (e.g., preparing materials, setting up displays, etc.).

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• Feel free to revisit and use this toolkit again at other times in the school year as needed.

Tips

Broken Crayons Still Color

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Community Connections

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Gratitude Lifts You

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Let’s Chalk About It

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Mental Health Scavenger Hunt

Create and Paint

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Create Your Shoe

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Positive Vibes

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Activity Ideas

Mental Health Awareness Week: Staff Resources

Most of these resources are being highlighted from the Mental Health America’s BIPOC Mental Health Month Toolkit from July 2022. Check out the complete toolkit for more resources and information.

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MCPS Waymaking Series

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Video Resource Library (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

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Mysteries of Mental Illness

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Decolonizing Mental Health

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NAMI Compartiendo Esperanza: Mental Wellness in the Latinx Community (NAMI)

Take a Mindful Moment

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Call the Pep Toc Hotline:

707-873-7862

(new phone number)

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Listen to Dad Jokes

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Color

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Visit BeWell 365 for Staff

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Use the MCPS Well Aware Toolkit (includes slides and resources)

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Get help through the EAP

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Need help ASAP?

Call 9-8-8

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Watch

Do

The Positive Psychology Podcast

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Between Sessions

(Melanin and Mental Health)

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Whole Family Wellness

(All My Relations)

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Mental Health Mukbang

(Asian Mental Health Collective)

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The Desi Condition

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Supporting Korean American Families Through the Pandemic

(Mustard Seed Generation)

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The MannMukti Podcast (MannMukti)

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OB Podcast (Ourselves Black)

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The Quick Tip with Sista Afya (Sista Afya)

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Latinx Mental Health Podcast

Listen

Caring for Your Mental Health (National Institute of Mental Health)

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Living Mentally Healthy (Mental Health America)

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Resources for Parents and Caring Adults: Mind4Health (Healthy Native Youth)

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Asian American Health Initiative Resource Library (AAHI)

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My Asian Mental Health (Asian Mental Health Collective)

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Self-Soothing Techniques to Include in Your Self Care Routine

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BIPOC Mental Health: It Is Important to Speak Up (Yalla! Let’s Talk)

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Here are 3 Positives of Running for Your Mental Health (Yalla! Let’s Talk)

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How to Cope with Compassion Fatigue (Yalla! Let’s Talk)

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Read

AAKOMA Project ResourcesBEAM Wellness Tools (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective)

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Reimagining Self-Care for Black Folks (Mental Health America)

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Stress, Trauma, and Healing (National Black Justice Coalition)

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Tips for Self-Care for Black Families (On Our Sleeves: The Movement for Children’s Mental Health)

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Therapy for Black Men Blog

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Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage (APA)

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Inclusive Therapists Mental Health Blog

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Why Imposter Syndrome Goes Deep for Multiracial People (Mental Health America)

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Multiracial Families (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy)