The seeds we’ve planted this winter are starting to blossom! Building off of the conversations we had last month with Aaron Garcia, the FEEST Fam at the Highline School District (HSD) met with Carrie Howell, the Board Rep for District 4. As you all may know, our youth campaigns are shaping up to be all about students having access to mental health resources at school. Based on the surveys that youth leaders have been conducting with their peers, the biggest issue students are facing at school is the lack of mental health resources.

Image is of FEEST Youth Leaders Survey Results

FEEST Leaders Asked Carrie 4 Major Questions:

  1. What did you notice about mental health support and resources in school when you were a teacher? What problems did you notice? What could be better?
  2. From your perspective, what do teachers need to do to support student mental health? What do teachers need to support their own mental health? 
  3. Now that you’re a school board member, and from your perspective in this position: What district-wide solutions should be implemented to support students’ mental health?
  4. Since you were a teacher before, we were wondering what limitations you saw when it came to making changes in the school system? How can we work together to make sure students see the change they need for their mental health in our school district?

From our conversation with Carrie, we learned that she is not only the District 4 Rep, she is also an educator, a parent, and has been teaching in the HSD for over a decade! Her perspective was refreshing to hear, which was grounded in her love for students, education, and creating equal access in HSD for ALL students to have a fulfilling educational experience. After youth leaders shared their concerns and questions, Carrie asked us how she could support us, what immediate needs they think should be prioritized now, what should be prioritized in March, and what can be prioritized for after spring break. 

Image is of FEEST youth leaders with Carrie Howell

We are so excited to continue to build our relationships with our decision-makers! It was a joy to learn from Carrie and her experiences. We are very grateful she was able to join us, taking such diligent notes to report back to her colleagues on the school board, and being a champion and advocate for the youth in her life.