By Hallie Christianson
Staff Writer
Many have asked about our school’s club, Sources of Strength. Sources of Strength is a suicide-prevention club that aims to help kids form connections with other students and adult advisors. This club is like that of the National Honor Society, meaning that it’s not confined to our school and has chapters nationwide. This club builds bonds between students and trusted teachers that help them build a community they can trust in mental health crises. It does this by making discussions between chapters worldwide and forming connections so no one will slip through the cracks. It is a noble and worthy cause to support and work with. Many schools, not just across the country but also worldwide, have chapters dedicated to Sources of Strength.
The club was founded by a team of workers in the North Dakota Juvenile Justice System. This team became extremely worried about their state’s teeenagers—at the time of its founding, North Dakota had the nation’s highest rates for teenage suicide. They , their focus is suicide prevention; they work and partner with local organizations to help people with mental illness. They also often partner with LGBTQIA+ centers to provide support to their members.
Their official website (sourcesofstrength. org) details the research they help support and their reach with schools. They started working with elementary and middle schools in 2020 and focused on teens in America and Canada. Now, they work in all three levels of school and build that international community of youth our age so they can know where they can go when they need support and teach them coping mechanisms and strategies to help.
The spreading and support of mental health support and affinity groups shows both sides of a coin. Mental health crises are becoming more common, but on the upside, they are also being more heard. The club and other organizations like it have been working to help this rising generation become more connected. They strive to help lower the suicide rates of youth in the area.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. B. She serves as the chapter advisors at North.
“Before the school year began they went and asked the staff if any of us wanted to lead a new suicide pervention program and go to the extra trainings,” she said when when asked why she joined Sources of Strength. “I said I would because it sounded like a good and important cause to support.”
This rationale has led to the creation of a supportive and inclusive environment for the club. More than a handful of students have admitted to relying on her and other teachers as their support systems. This is one of the main reasons for Sources of Strength. Many people have stated that connecting students with adequately trained teachers who know how to handle mental health crises is a beautiful way to prevent suicide.
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