In The Valley, Press Release

Resilient Lehigh Valley, in partnership with Lehigh and Northampton Counties, promotes Youth Voice and Leadership in addressing the youth mental health epidemic


$25,000 in grants provided to launch or deepen school-based Aevidum youth mental health clubs.

Allentown, PA (May 3, 2023) –  Twenty-five local middle and high schools are now able to lift up youth voice and leadership to address rising rates of youth depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation through $25,000 in grants to launch a new or deepen an existing school-based Aevidum Club. Funds were provided by Lehigh and Northampton Counties and promoted and distributed through Resilient Lehigh Valley. Participating middle and high schools received $1,000 each to create or implement an Aevidum program that aims to empower students to break the `stigma around depression, suicide, anxiety, and other mental health issues facing teens through peer-to-peer messaging, events, and activities. Aevidum means “I’ve got your back,” and was created by students in Lancaster, PA, after a classmate died by suicide.

“We are in a youth mental health crisis with teenagers reporting troubling increases in depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. With a collaborative and cross-sector approach, Resilient Lehigh Valley is committed to improving mental health among our youth. By expanding Aevidum programs, we can empower more youth to shape solutions and equip more schools to better meet students’ mental health needs and ensure all students feel a sense of belonging,” says Beth Tomlinson, co-founder of Resilient Lehigh Valley and senior director of community resilience at United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. Schools interested in starting an Aevidum club can contact Mary Pritchard,  Aevidum’s Director of Outreach, at maryaevidum@gmail.com.

According to the Pennsylvania Youth Survey, more local youth than ever before report struggling with their mental health on a regular basis. In fact, 43% of Lehigh Valley middle and high school-aged youth report feeling depressed most days in the past 12 months.

To directly address this issue, Resilient Lehigh Valley distributed $1,000 to each of the following 25 schools to support an Aevidum program and faculty advisor:

Any middle or high school in Lehigh or Northampton counties with an Aevidum program or interest in developing one qualified for the funds. Schools will also assign a staff representative to join their county’s Suicide Prevention Task Force, which actively works to reduce youth and adult suicide rates in the Lehigh Valley.

More information on Resilient Lehigh Valley’s resources can be found here. Learn more about Aevidum and its initiatives here.

About Resilient Lehigh Valley

Resilient Lehigh Valley is a cross-sector, collective-impact effort dedicated to increasing youth resiliency through creating a trauma-informed and resilient community. To date, Resilient Lehigh Valley has trained more than 4,000 educators, health-and-human service professionals and law-enforcement members in trauma-informed practices and secured commitment to taking a trauma-informed school approach with 7 out of the region’s 17 school districts. To learn more, visit www.resilientlehighvalley.org.

About Aevidum

Aevidum was started in Cocalico High School in Lancaster County in 2003 after a sophomore student died by suicide. After his death, students, teachers, and administrators refused to remain silent and began an important conversation about mental health and suicide prevention. Aevidum was incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2010 and has since grown to over 300 clubs in elementary, middle, and high schools as well as colleges throughout Pennsylvania and beyond. Aevidum is different because it lifts student voices, empowers them to advocate for change in their home communities, ends the stigma associated with mental illness, and encourages help-seeking behaviors.  Aevidum creates cultures of care by promoting inclusive practices of acceptance, appreciation, acknowledgment, and caring for others via student-created campaigns. Aevidum’s message of hope has been shared widely, and hundreds of thousands of individuals have pledged commitment to Aevidum’s mission and message. We hope you will join the movement and help us spread the word. We’ve got your back! www.Aevidum.com

 

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