At the end of first period on May 18, Hero Club made an announcement about Mental Health Action Day. The song “Break my Soul” by Beyoncé was played from a self-care Hidden Healers playlist in collaboration with the national Our Minds Matte organization. The activation is an opportunity for supporters and 140+ OMM clubs to “Move with Music” in order to shift student’s awareness of mental health into taking action for themselves and their community.

Program Coordinator Julia Klipp and Director of Impact G Wei Ng, Ph.D. from OMM arrived at Poolesville to talk about the event’s impact.

“I feel like movement directly correlates to feeling uplifted even if it’s faking it till you make it,” explained Klipp.”I think that moving your body in a way that feels fun and comfortable just boosts your energy and your mood”.

Teachers and students from Journalism and Hero Club encouraged students to move their bodies while connecting with friends during the song. Hero Club Sponsor Ms. Nagy spoke about students benefiting from teachers’ support when they recognize the importance of mental health.

“I think students are more willing to go to a teacher when they know, my teachers knows about mental health…my teacher cares and prioritizes it,” said Ms. Nagy.

When the song ended, students were given self care cards that encouraged them to take one hour of the day to support the mental health of themselves, loved ones, or community. Dr. Ng describes the process of creating them.

“One of the ideas is that students will come out with a plan for how they can take care of themselves and be there for others and their community when they are okay,” stated Dr.Ng.”[The self care cards] can be a good reminder for folks who are struggling so that when they are in a crisis state they can do something to [help] them”.

MHAD is an open-source movement of brands and organizations drivingculture from mental health awareness to mental health action. For the third annual MHAD, MTV Entertainment Studios awarded grants to nonprofit organizations working in communities to educate, encourage and empower people to take action to improve their mental health. The event is meant to address mental health concerns that resulted from the pandemic, which had a devastating effect on suicide rates among youth in the United States. A study in the Journal of Medical Toxicology found that suspected suicides and suicide attempts increased by 4.5% among 6 to 19-year-olds from March 2020 through February 2021.

“Especially with the last few years of being in quarantine and confined, it’s an opportunity for students to come together and do something meaningful to take care of their mental health, which will hopefully increase some sense of social connection,” said Dr. Ng.

Entire MCPS schools got up and danced together to motivate students to take steps to improve their well-being. OMM is one of 22 nonprofit organizations chosen by MTV to receive a MHAD grant; all funding is aimed to shift mental health culture from awareness to action.Poolesville moves with music for Mental Health Action Day