This year, Broomfield High School has warmly accepted the new club Sources of Strength. Their meetings are on the first and third Wednesdays of the month during common lunch. The club’s goal is lifting the bad stigma surrounding mental health and traumatic events that happen in one’s life. Their wheel, which has eight sections, will each be discussed during meetings and students will be shown how some of the sensitive topics talked about can have a positive spin on them and be dealt with in healthy ways.

Sources of Strength has been in the district for years in different high schools such as Fairview and a few middle schools. Because of the club’s science based evidence, the district trusts the methods used to help students more because of the positive results and feedback from the test runs of this club. Some of these positive results were, as stated in the Rationale For Sources of Strength, “connectedness to adults and to school engagement,” and “the intervention increased perceptions of adult support for suicidal youth and the acceptability of seeking help.”

Adult leaders, Mrs. Kelli, Ms. Huth, and Mrs. Zechmann are excited for the club to grow and are hopeful for its success. Student leaders such as Taylor Schmeckpeper (12) said, “just kind of connect the whole school together and know that, you know, you have a friend who’s there.” Sources of Strength is determined to help those who are struggling and need a safe space to talk and receive positive help.

The club works on projects and does activities that surround mental health. Schmeckpeper says, “one of the things we’ve been working on in our meetings is just having everyone write down, you know, what the thing that they’re thankful for, or have been thankful for…and we’re hoping to create a big eagle mural.” This eagle mural is one of the projects Sources of Strength wants to work on in order to feel more comfortable talking about and dealing with mental health.

By the spring semester, the club wants to get themselves out more through campaigns and spreading awareness of what they do and how they help. When the spring semester rolls into our lives, be aware for Sources of Strength and they’re mission on reaching out and helping everyone in need with their mental health.