Why You Matter Project

The Why You Matter Project started at Chelsea High School in Alabama; the faculty worked to promote a positive school environment where all students felt heard, seen, and loved.
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During the first year, the project was a response to loss and helping students manage grief. In the second year they started a new conversation about mental health and wellness in their community.
After a very isolating and difficult pandemic school year, our goal is about to reunite all students and adults in our learning community by making everyone feel loved, valued, and appreciated. The purpose of this initiative is to make these sentiments visible throughout the school, thereby teaching our students how to identify positive qualities in themselves and others.
Objectives:
-To get students to realize how much they matter to so many different people in their lives.
-To help students articulate their own unique importance in the world.
-To identify students that may be struggling with issues of self-worth and to refer them to the school counseling
office for support.
-To assist students in writing a single #WhyYouMatter statement.
MVSD SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCY ALIGNMENT:
This project connects to our district SEL Competencies through two of the five domains: Self-Awareness and Self-Management
SELF-AWARENESS Connections:
I can identify my personal strengths based on my interests and qualities.
I can describe how my personal strengths and challenges influence decision-making.
I can identify my strengths and limitations.
SELF-MANAGEMENT Connection:
I can be a positive citizen in my school community and create opportunities to contribute to the greater good.
www.whyyoumatter.org