Amidst AP testing from Monday, May 11, to Friday, May 15, Mental Health Awareness Week took place on campus. During lunch and access, the AVHS counseling team held a variety of activities highlighting wellness and self-care.
“Mental health awareness is something that we hope students are aware of every day, but we very much want to encourage students, especially during this time of year, when it’s often very busy,” said Support Counselor Jennifer Yu.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Created in 1949 by Mental Health America, Mental Health Awareness Month aims to reduce stigma surrounding mental health while promoting advocacy and care.
“I think [Mental Health Awareness week] is really important during this time of academic stress, when everyone around us is just talking about testing all the time, especially with AP testing going on. It’s really easy to forget to do things that make you feel relaxed and make you feel happy, because you’re just focused on studying all the time and getting good grades. So, with mental health awareness week, we can really help people during school time without them having to go out of their way to try and take that time,” said NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) club treasurer Chloe Fan (‘26).
Raising Awareness
Throughout the week, the counselors set up a table during lunch for students to interact as they passed by.
“It’s tough to try to grab the attention of passing students during lunch. And so we often kind of do more tabling activities where we ask students to take a short pause to think about their mental health,” said Yu.
The counseling team reviews past Mental Health awareness weeks to see what activities students generally liked. Many activities include prizes, such as stress balls and stickers, to increase engagement.
“For mental health awareness week, we try to look back at previous mental health awareness weeks to see what activities were really popular and that students really enjoy doing… And then, of course, we always like to give out prizes or incentives for students to participate,” said Yu.
Activities each day were designed to highlight different aspects of Mental Health. Nurture Your Brain Monday prompted students to share ways they helped their mental health. Additionally, Awareness Tuesday tested students’ mental health knowledge with a mini version of Jeopardy.
“There are a lot of things coming at students in terms of finals, a lot of academic stress, and pressure. And so we really want to remind students to take extra care of their mental health this month,” said Yu.
To wrap up the week, Affirmation Thursday collected numerous positive affirmations that students wrote on an “Affirmation Wall.” Pledge Friday encouraged students to sign the pledge wall to take responsibility for their mental health.
“[The week] gives students a chance to just take their minds off of tests, even if it’s only for a few minutes of their day,” said Fan.
Access Activities
In addition to tabling events, access workshops were available on Wednesday and Thursday. A mix of crafts and informative sessions, the workshops attracted lots of students.
“I went [to the bedazzling workshop] to just become more zen and have fun bedazzling and make something beautiful. I think it was beneficial because I ended up with a really beautiful bedazzled car,” said Evelyn Roe (‘27).
Llama Wednesay
A popular activity last year was the arrival of llamas to campus. The counseling team partnered with the PTSA and the NAMI club for the return of llamas on Wednesday. Students petted, brushed, and fed the llamas to de-stress.
“I think [the llamas] are something that people can say is the highlight of their day and bring a smile to their face. And also, animals are known to be therapeutic for people, or help people to just feel relaxed and share their emotions with others,” said Fan.
