Four Wantagh High School students educated their younger peers about mental health and wellness during presentations on April 7 and 8.

Caroline Feyrer, Nina Myers, Elena Radoslovich and Gavyn Scherr visited all sixth grade physical education classes at Wantagh Middle School. They coordinated four stations on topics that promote mental well-being and provided coping skills. The four students are members of Morgan’s Message and the Cohen Strong committee.

As members of Cohen Strong, an initiative of Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center, the students had to complete a mental health-themed community service project. Caroline, Nina, Elena and Gavyn created an interactive program for sixth graders. The four stations focused on dispelling mental health myths, getting rid of negative thoughts, music therapy and canine therapy.

At Gavyn’s station, sixth graders wrote their stresses and worries on paper plates, then tore those up to get rid of the negative energy. On new paper plates, students wrote positive thoughts, which they then kept as a reminder of the good aspects of their lives.

“We know what it’s like to be in middle school,” Gavyn said. “There’s a lot of different ways that everyone can cope with stress. There are ways to handle situations to make themselves feel better."

Gavyn said that students could continue keeping track of their feelings at home through journaling. 

Nina’s station featured a visit from Picasso, a therapy dog from Dagger DogVinci and Friends. Students learned how interacting with animals can be good for their mental health. Elena talked to students about the benefits of music therapy. She encouraged the sixth graders to create playlists with different songs that can help relieve stress in different situations. In Caroline’s group, students threw around a beach ball with mental health statements on each color. Based on where their thumb landed, students were asked to identify if it was a fact or a myth.

The sixth graders took anonymous surveys about their mental health before they rotated through the stations, then answered questions at the end about the strategies they found beneficial. The Cohen Strong students will be using the data collected for their presentation at Northwell Health in May. 

The students were led by social worker Iris Kline, Morgan’s Message adviser and Cohen Strong coordinator.