Liz, our Program Assistant at TFD, visited Proviso East High School’s Calm Room to put together an activity for the students. Loyola Medicine designed the Calm Room for students to visit during lunchtime as an alternative. Here, students can have an intentionally safe place.
This week, Liz brought painting supplies designed by Dana of I Paint on Purpose for the students to get creative!
This week we continued to hand out mental health kits at Proviso district high schools for the 2023-2024 school year. This time, we visited Proviso East High School. Our bags were a hit with the incoming freshman for this school year. Additionally, some students who did not receive a kit last time we were there, were able to receive some. We had some students who also had praise for our journal and journal prompts. They told Jasmine and Maya how it helped them work through their feelings better. We love to hear how students are continuing to use their kits!
This time, we handing out 106 kits to new students. Our running total is now 1,181 kits given away to local Proviso students!
Yesterday, the Firehouse Dream Team went to Proviso East to hand out 153 more kits to the high school students. Thanks to our team, we ran out once again at each lunch period, but thanks to our partnership with the Loyola Health clinic, we can now do weekly drop offs to the students who have not received one. In total, we have now given away 600 kits to our local high school students. Thank you so much to our supporters for believing in this mission!
While the team was in the lunch room passing out kits, Jasmine and Maya went around to a couple of class rooms to educate our students on how money can impact mental health! Jasmine shared her story on how money has impacted her personal life. She presented '“money truths” to help the students believe in themselves and that money is a tool.
The Firehouse Dream has been making an impact in our community! Thank you all for following along in our journey!
Friends! We have finally gotten into another Proviso school! We are continuously working toward our goal of giving away kits to every student in Proviso District 209. Jasmine and Maya have been working hard to educate our youth on the importance of mental health and self-confidence. To honor that, we held an affirmations board. We had Proviso East students write on our affirmation sticky notes “I am” statements that reflected their authentic selves. We had statements like “I am loved” and “I am destined for success”. Better yet, our kits come with sticky notes in them, so we are hopeful they continue to tell themselves positive affirmations
By the end of our time, 149 East students had received a kit! Thank you to Proviso East for believing in our purpose and wanting to share it with the students. Also, thank you to our supporters, donors, and sponsors who allow us to work toward our goal of 5000 kits given away.
Photo Credit: Mya Rose
Our D209 teachers have been working without contract and after many failed attempts in reaching an agreement with the PTU, our D209 teachers have put in a strike date for Friday, Feb 18th. After our monthly school board meeting yesterday, our students felt ignored when sharing their concerns, so today they decided to do a walk-out in support of their teachers advocating for a fair contract and to see a change with their schools.
Each school’s walk out looked differently. We weren’t able to make it to East’s today but we did make it to PMSA’s. After chatting with several PMSA students it came out that they were hoping to make their presence known on the 5th floor. However, they were met with locked doors and security. So instead they opted to walkout of the school, to then again be met with locked doors. Someone ended up pulling a fire alarm, forcing everyone in the building to exit. It was an opportunity for the students to showcase their love and support for their teachers.
As an organization we fully support our youth and the ways they choose to have their voices amplified. We don’t sit on any side, but any opportunity that allows for our students voices centered we are for.
Photo Credit: Mya Rose & Jasmine
