Where do you go when you need support and the counselor on campus is busy? Who can you turn to for help? 

On March 21, a team of students from Head-Royce implored California legislators during a day of advocacy to consider these questions in an effort to focus attention and incite action on what they believe is an epic post-pandemic mental health crisis in youth.  

The day represented the final step in a year-long effort by the team’s leaders, Hayden T. ’23 and Louisa L. ’23, to raise awareness and improve youth mental health resources at Head-Royce and in other schools in California. Having conducted research including surveying administrators and student leadership from other Bay Area high schools, “getting in front of and speaking directly with lawmakers was the next big step,” Hayden said.

Nancy Feidelman, the Director of the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) and Junior States of America (JSA) advisor, accompanied the seven-person team—Louisa L. ’23, Hayden T. ’23, Iyobosa E. ’23, Alex B. ’23, Sasha L. ’24, Emma B. ’26 and Abby L ’26—to Sacramento under the umbrella of JSA. The group began working on research and advocacy in the 2021-22 school year. 

Their research includes facts from a variety of sources including California Governor Newsom’s Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health August 2022. The report provides sobering statistics: “Over 284,000 youth cope with major depression;” “66% of kids with depression do not receive treatment;” and “Suicide rates for kids ages 10-18 increased 20% between 2019-2020.”

Instead of lobbying for a particular piece of legislation or a program, students honed in on what they believe is missing from the State’s plan to address the serious mental health climate in California: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum for all educators and students and increased mental health spaces. 

Louisa explained, “Schools are understaffed and lack the resources needed to support the mental health of the whole school community. With the scarcity of counselors, the counseling office is often in use. Allocating another room to a wellness center will allow students to get what they need in a safe place.”

In Sacramento, the group met with staffers from six different offices and two representatives; Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan (D, 16th) and Senator Glazer (D, 7th). They also spent time talking with former California Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico.  “We advocated for very targeted and specific changes: Social-Emotional Learning curriculum, teacher mental health education and dedicated comfortable safe spaces on campus,“ said Sasha L. ’24. Louisa noted, “It was really helpful to have different perspectives present from all high school grade levels. It sparked thoughtful conversation.” 

Next steps include follow up with the legislators and planning ahead for what the current leaders hope will at least be an ongoing annual event. 

Louisa and Hayden have put “hundreds of hours” into this project. They are hopeful that new leadership will emerge next year, and see promise in many of the volunteers who stepped forward to participate. “We’ve seen lots of interest among our peers,” said Hayden, who also confessed that she might stay involved in local and state politics. 

She might not be the only one. Alex B. ’23 shared, “I was initially interested in this opportunity because I felt like as a school and society, we do not talk much about state politics. The federal government feels too far away and disconnected from California and especially the Bay Area. I wanted to go to Sacramento to get a better idea of what happens in the State legislature.” 

Congratulations to our young change makers who see opportunity for improvement and are taking part in the process of making it happen!