What, Why, How

High School REACT

What are we doing?

Our objective for the High School REACT program is to help 8th grade students become aware of their mental health as a way to better prepare them for high school.

  • We will help 8th graders define what is mental health and how it affects them. For instance, they will come to understand the difference between physical and mental health, and the causal connections between the two. 
  • They will understand what it means to be mentally healthy, and why it is necessary to consider and tend to their mental health. 
  • We will empower them with a sense of personal responsibility and the understanding that it is in their control to make choices that contribute to positive outcomes in areas of their life that have a direct impact on their mental well-being such as relationships, communication, and self-concept. 
  • They will come to understand how to respond in a healthy way to challenging situations and emotions.

What is REACT?

REACT is an acronym for our positive psychology and virtue-based approach to mental health education of Respect, Empathy, Acceptance, Courage, Trust. It provides a framework for understanding ourselves and our human dignity through understanding how our mindset connects with our choices and ultimately how we form our capacity to meet the demands of reality. With REACT, we recognize and reinforce strengths rather than pathologize. We place special emphasis on how our well-being is linked to our capacity to relate to others and respect for others, have empathy for others, and acceptance of others. Reflexively, it places special emphasis on self-respect, self-empathy and accepting our shortcomings through a human dignity lens. REACT also intersects with faith with the components of courage, trust, and the humility to seek truth (rather than jump to conclusions about ourselves or our circumstances).

Why?

We have seen how the transition from 8th grade to high school is a critical juncture in one's life. We want to equip 8th graders with insight and preparation to navigate through big changes that may occur. Also, they are now at the maturity level to begin reflecting on their journey in school so far, determine what they want to achieve, and realize the meaning to their human dignity. We want to help guide them in forming goals and vision. We want them to experience how to relate with others with maturity and respect, and in turn feel respected and connected. Our main goal is for students to gain perspective, insight, and experience connection with their peers so that through better understanding their emotions and relating to each other, they know they are not alone and have more courage and hope for their future. Through cultivating mental health readiness, we believe students will gain the skills and resiliency to develop a growth mindset that will help them embrace challenges with confidence in high school.

How?

--Discussion format:  Providing a safe space for them to relate with one another. Modeling what it means to communicate to each other with respect, empathy, and acceptance. Encouraging them to share their vision and interests with one another.

--Goal-setting:  Helping them set goals for themselves and encouraging them to meet their goals

--Emotional awareness:  Bring attention to their experience of emotions and give them the opportunity to express how they feel. Show interest in what they feel and respond with kindness.

--Psychoeducation:  Introduce SEL (social, emotional, learning) topics and engage them in group discussion. Allow them to share how these topics relate to their lives and help them find common ground with each other thus having more insight into the value of their human dignity.


 


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