Early Childhood NewsK-12 News

Resources for Mental Health Awareness Month

Did you know, according to the Pew Research Center in 2017, 13% of youth ages 12-17 reported at least one major episode of depression in a year’s time? That’s 3.2 million young people, pre-pandemic. Since the changes brought on by Covid-19, those numbers have risen. C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health indicates that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys between 13 and 18 years old are dealing with increased anxiety.  Therapists nationwide are noting an increase in therapy sessions for youth, including elementary-aged kids.

Why not use Mental Health Awareness Month to help students learn about recognizing and managing their own emotions and recognizing  those of their peers? KET’s PBS LearningMedia can help with free, quality multimedia resources, including this resource to help adults identify signs that a student may need help: Warning Signs and Finding Help.

Here are just a few more of the available materials for teachers and students, several from KET’s  Youth Mental Health collection:

All About Emotions: PreK and K | PBS Kids     
Suggested grades PreK-K
Lesson plan: A bilingual, weekly “Learn Along” Bingo card (one for PreK-K, one for Grades 1 & 2) will include a range of thematic learning opportunities for children to choose their own learning adventure. Emphasis will be on the PBS KIDS 24/7 broadcast schedule and related printables that require minimal supplies or adult facilitation. Weekly activities will be cross-curricular but emphasize Social-Emotional Learning, Math and Literacy development. Includes Teacher Support Material. 

Extra, Extra, Talk All About It! | Happy, Healthy Kids  
Suggested grades PreK-1
In this episode of Happy Healthy Kids, Miss Kelsey encourages kids to explain how they feel to their grown-ups. Watch a clip from Arthur and see how sharing his feelings make him feel better.

How to Cope | Arthur Family Health: Resilience 
Suggested grades PreK-4
Use this lesson plan to help children build resilience and learn how to cope. Using advice and role-play, help guide your children through an exploration of how to handle scary situations, focusing on what happens when you are lost, in this educator guide from Arthur: “April 9th.” 

Survival Guide: How to Handle Family Stress | Above the Noise  
Suggested grades 6-12 (Includes lesson plan for teachers)
Family really getting to you? You’re not alone. Even as stay-at-home orders are loosening, you’re probably spending way more time at home than you’d like to. This can lead to some family tension-especially between teens and parents. What tips do you have to handle family stress during this time?

To help your students produce stories about what they are experiencing, visit the Student Reporting Labs curriculum Making Sense of Coronavirus Through Storytelling and Media Making.

Option: Have your students watch the video and respond to the prompt on KQED Learn.  

Poetry Brings Happiness to Troubled Teens 
Suggested grades 7-12
Help students explore the power of poetry with this PBS NewsHour video from June 3, 2014. The Pongo Teen Writing Project has been working with troubled teens in detention centers, mental health facilities and homeless centers for nearly two decades, taking their stories and turning them into poetry. Includes Support Materials to Use with Students. From  PBS NewsHour | Daily News Story collection

Depression: One Teen’s Story | You Are Not Alone 
Suggested grades 6-13+
A teenage girl shares the story of her battle with depression, which began when she was in fourth grade, affecting her relationships and making her feel isolated. This video segment is part of You Are Not Alone, a youth mental health series produced by KET. Includes Viewing Guide and Discussion Questions. From KET’s Youth Mental Health collection.

Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.

Suicide Prevention: One Family’s Story  |  You Are Not Alone 
Suggested grades 6-13+
Pete Jones, of Louisville, Kentucky, died by suicide at age 23. His family talks about his mental health struggles and their work to honor his memory and prevent suicides through the Pete Foundation for Depression Prevention. This video segment is part of You Are Not Alone, a youth mental health series produced by KET. From KET’s Youth Mental Health collection.

Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.

Hope for the Future|  Not Broken 
Suggested grades 9-12
Joronda Montaño shares her story of surviving and thriving despite mental health challenges. She and the other voices of Not Broken reinforce the message that teens living with mental illnesses are not broken and not defined by their diagnoses.

This video segment is part of Not Broken, a candid and hopeful documentary about seven young people fighting to live their dreams despite their mental health challenges, produced by Arizona Public Media.

Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.

Kindness Curriculum Overview | Kindness in the Classroom 
Suggested grades PreK-K, 13+ (teachers)
Learn about the Kindness Curriculum—including the direct benefits of teaching mindfulness in a classroom setting.  This video is from PBS Wisconsin Education’s Kindness in the Classroom, a multi-part video series designed to give educators insight into the positive impacts of teaching mindfulness in a classroom setting. The series focuses on implementing the Kindness Curriculum; a free 24-lesson mindfulness guide designed for pre-k and kindergarten classrooms, researched and developed by the Center for Healthy Minds at UW-Madison.


For even more resources, visit our curated folder. Have questions or need assistance? Contact your KET Education Consultant! We love helping educators and students!