When August comes around, we all know what that means: back-to-school season is upon us. For many parents, this is a busy, exciting, and of course, expensive time, as you run from store-to-store trying to get the best deals on school supplies and uniforms. Kids are probably sad summer is over, but excited to go back to school and see their friends. Some households may start “practicing” heading to bed early (as mine did). First day of school outfits, hairstyles, and haircuts are being planned and executed days before the highly anticipated moment. You as an adult may be watching from the outside wondering, “What does all this have to do with me?” If you keep reading this blog post, I’ll tell you about four things you can learn from this season.

Kids Hope Alliance recently had the pleasure of hosting Metrotown-In-A-Day (MIAD)! This program is a One Jax initiative that promotes youth leadership and development through group activities, inner reflection, and healthy communication amongst middle and high schoolers. MIAD is a three to four-hour workshop that is available to educators, nonprofit youth programs, youth groups of faith institutions, and other organizations. Different topics such as inclusion, mental wellness, and empathy are discussed throughout the workshop, allowing participants to explore how to successfully live together in a world that is growing more diverse. Students who attend MIAD usually go on to participate in the full two-to-four-day Metrotown experience.

May is Mental Health Awareness month! Even though we should be taking care of our mental health year-round, this month is a special time to come together and share resources, support each other, and learn more. In this blog post, I’ll share five practices you can start incorporating today to help improve your mental health. But before we get into it, let’s do a very brief history lesson.