For ADULTS:
I take the pledge to LISTEN to the young people in my life for at least 1 minute each day and I will not interrupt.
I am committed to making sure that I LISTEN TO LEARN and LEARN TO LISTEN.
A Great Place to Learn!
WEST ORANGE, NJ –In conjunction with GrassROOTS Community Foundation, West Orange Schools observed Green Ribbon Week, held Sept. 20-24.
Green Ribbon Week offers preventative strategies for youth mental health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ADHD, behavior problems, anxiety, and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children.
4% of children aged 2-17 years (approximately 6.1 million) have received an ADHD diagnosis.
4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.5 million) have a diagnosed behavior problem.
1% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety.
2% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 1.9 million) have diagnosed depression.
GrassROOTS Community Foundation provides additional statistics on children and mental health.
The goals of Green Ribbon Week are to educate youth about the ways to maintain good mental health, encourage adults to engage in practices that facilitate dialogue with youth, and make conversations about mental health as common as conversations about physical health.
Throughout the week, students and staff participated in activities geared to raise awareness about mental health issues, dispel the stigmas, and create a compassionate environment of support for those experiencing mental illness. The activities were age-appropriate for elementary, middle, and high school students and provided useful ways to help themselves and each other. Activities included:
Wear green and tell people why
Learn Meditation techniques
Post about Green Ribbon Week and Mental Health Awareness on Social Media
Practice Active Listening
Remind people you care about them
Find ways to get help
Take the Pledge:
For ADULTS:
I take the pledge to LISTEN to the young people in my life for at least 1 minute each day and I will not interrupt.
I am committed to making sure that I LISTEN TO LEARN and LEARN TO LISTEN.
For YOUTH:
I take the pledge to BREATHE.
For me, I know that everything is going to be OK as long as I can BREATHE.
I am committed each day to spend at least one minute to inhale good and positive thoughts and exhale all my stress.
The West Orange School District and GrassROOTS recommend the following resources regarding youth mental health.
Videos:
WOHS Ms. DeMarco Guided Meditation
5-minute Anxiety Reducing Meditation
How to defeat negative thinking
You Make My Life Better Quote Clip
Spanish:
Al Final del Dia Podemos Video 1
Mind Games:
Exercise:
Smartphone Apps:
Resources:
National Alliance of Mental Health NJ (NAMI)
NAMI NJ African American Community