What’s being labeled as a social-emotional fair is aiming to give kids skills that will be useful to them in life after school.
On April 5, Wrangell High School and Stikine Middle School will host an event that involves various organizations throughout the community to help students learn everything from stress-reduction skills to how to balance a checkbook.
“We’ve been struggling ever since COVID, or even before that with the social-emotional situation with our kids,” said Bob Davis, the assistant principal of both schools. “Krissy Smith over at SEARHC called and said, ‘Hey, we could help with a fair-type situation where we can present students with options.’”
According to Rachel Harris, administrative supervisor for SEARHC Behavioral Health, her organization will provide students with information on coping and calming skills for anxiety, depression and/or anger, dealing with teen drinking and peer pressure, and staying safe online and with social media.
Davis and Addy Esco, the schools’ counselor, would like to have a bevy of resources for the students, including career planning resources and basic life skills.
“In my opinion, the needs of the kids have grown exponentially,” Davis said. “That’s everything from academic skills they need later in life, and then the social-emotional situation has deteriorated. Teachers are expected to step in and we haven’t been supported enough. We’re trying to do more and more with less and less.”
Esco said they’ve asked the borough’s parks and recreation department to have a booth to talk about the positive effects of physical activity on mental health, and First Bank to help students understand financial things like budgeting and balancing a checkbook.
“I’ll have a booth that’s centered around students thinking about their future; career planning stuff, some life skills stuff, ways to help kids be well-rounded,” Esco said. “There are those resources to help them get questions answered or needs met.”
She said shop teacher Winston Davies will also be on hand to discuss career and technical education opportunities.
“I really think it’s important for kids to hear — even if it’s the exact same information — from different voices,” Esco said. “Someone else talk about coping skills or how to deal with stress, they might hear it from someone else rather from me every time. Sometimes kids, for any number of reasons, decide that’s the voice they’re going to hear from.”
Esco’s goal with the fair is to increase students’ awareness of support systems and opportunities available to them. “I like to see kids’ perspectives grow. Just try to get them to see there are other ways to get things done out there.”
For Davis, it’s a matter of coming together as a community for the betterment of its children.
“If we can get different organizations, different entities to come together on something like this, it becomes easier in the future,” he said. “A lot of times, creating something new is the hardest. Maybe it’s something that can continue and expand into the future.”
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