Golden Apple: Lighthouse Project Talks Mental Health at Forestview Middle School

Brainerd High School students involved in the Lighthouse Project were holding presentations for students at Forestview Middle School last week.

The Lighthouse Project is a student-led, non-profit organization dedicated to focusing on and improving mental health in the Brainerd Lakes Area. One of the main messages the group conveys is that it’s okay to talk about mental health.

“I think the biggest thing is asking for help,” said McKenna Constance, Lighthouse Project Future Leader. “I think really keeping all the things in, like, that can really impact somebody’s mental health and I think that everybody needs to know that they really can talk to [someone]. There’s always those people that you can talk to, whether it’s an adult, a parent, counselor, teacher, friend, just always talk about how you’re feeling. Don’t keep any of that in.”

However, young kids can find difficulty in interpreting that message from authoritative figures, which is where the high school students can step in.

“A lot of the times they look up to us and they want to be us in a way, or their role models,” said Lighthouse Project member Annie Pierce. “And so it’s important to hear that from high school students that we also suffer from mental health just like any other kid. And that’s a normal thing.”

On top of stressing the importance of self-care, maintaining healthy minds, or supporting peers feeling overwhelmed, the Lighthouse Project is there to answer any questions.

“Usually like, ‘Who can I talk to?’ or ‘How can I find help?’ And that’s when we have a lot of resources, like the 988 [Suicide & Crisis Lifeline] number and also using our Brainerd Lakes Area grant for kids that can offer $500 worth of therapy sessions,” explained Lighthouse Project Leader Olivia Brown. “We usually go towards that if they’re wondering where they can get help from.”

For the Lighthouse Project, its message is all about debunking and combating the negative stigma surrounding mental health. And there’s no better time to educate people about mental health awareness than as early as possible.

“I would really say right away,” responded Constance. “I think it’s an important thing to know as soon as you can because same as like physical health, how you have to maintain all of the physical health, you also have mental health, which is really just as important because it affects who you are and how you go about your day-to-day life.”

And the Lighthouse Project hopes that the next generation left the presentations knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“I hope they walk away with the fact that everybody suffers – not suffers from it, but experiences it,” stated Pierce. “And it’s okay to feel the way that you’re feeling and it’s okay to reach out to those that you love.”

The Lighthouse Project also held its annual family event at Forestview Middle School last Friday.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, you can call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.