Students may be more ready to talk about mental health than many adults realize.
That was one of the strongest themes to emerge during a recent Erika's Lighthouse webinar featuring educators and mental health professionals working directly with students.
While concerns about youth mental health continue to grow, the educators in the discussion shared a hopeful perspective: students want these conversations. What they need are trusted adults, practical skills, and school environments that make it easier to seek support.
Here are five lessons that emerged from the conversation.
Both speakers highlighted an important distinction: effective mental health education goes beyond raising awareness.
As Ilana Sherman, Director of Education at Erika's Lighthouse, explained during the webinar, mental health literacy is about "understanding how to seek help effectively" and recognizing trusted adults, while also teaching students what mental health is, identifying common challenges, and equipping them with strategies to reduce stigma.
In practical terms, mental health literacy helps students:
By giving students practical skills and a shared language for discussing mental health, schools can help them navigate challenges long before a crisis occurs.
To bring these practical skills directly into your school, explore our free Classroom Education Programs designed to foster mental health literacy for students.
One of the most common misconceptions about youth mental health is that students are uncomfortable discussing it.
In reality, many educators are seeing the opposite.
As Ilana Sherman, Director of Education at Erika's Lighthouse, shared during the webinar, "kids want to talk about mental health" and are often far more open to it than adults realize—though "sometimes the adults aren't as much."
That observation resonated with Candice Florance, Kinetic Wellness Teacher at Washburne Middle School, who noted that student and community comfort levels have "changed drastically," adding that students today are remarkably "savvy with the language."
Many students arrive at high school with a greater awareness of mental health than previous generations. They are already hearing these conversations through social media, peers, family members, and their own experiences.
The challenge isn't getting students interested in the topic.
The challenge is ensuring schools have the resources and confidence to guide those conversations effectively.
When educators talk about what helps students thrive, one theme consistently emerges: connection.
Research shows that school connectedness is one of the strongest protective factors for youth mental health. Students who feel connected to trusted adults and peers are more likely to seek help, build resilience, and navigate challenges successfully.
But connectedness doesn't happen automatically.
Schools must intentionally create opportunities for students to build relationships and feel like they belong.
For Candice, that work happens every day through classroom interactions, wellness education, and creating an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and discussing difficult topics.
For Kady Tronvold, a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner and Erika's Lighthouse Community Ambassador serving K–12 schools in Nebraska, school connectedness is closely tied to help-seeking. Her work focuses on helping students identify trusted adults and ensuring they know exactly where to turn when they need support.
Student leadership can play an important role as well. During the discussion, speakers highlighted how student-led initiatives create opportunities for young people to support one another, reduce stigma, and build stronger school communities.
Many students know they need support. What they often struggle with is knowing how to ask for it.
During the webinar, Kady shared a practical approach:
"I focus on teaching students how to ask for help for little things. I might knock something off my desk and ask, 'Hey, can you help me pick that up?' and then connect it to other ways to ask for help, like asking for help if you drop something in the hallway. And then practice that with them, too."
— Kady Tronvold, Licensed Mental Health Practitioner
Like any skill, asking for help becomes easier with practice. Research has shown that many young people struggle to find the words to ask for help or feel overwhelmed by the process of reaching out. The Jed Foundation's research on help-seeking behaviors provides additional insight into the barriers students face and strategies that can increase help-seeking among young people.
By teaching help-seeking skills early and often, schools can help students build confidence before they face a serious challenge. This shift from simply telling students help is available to actively teaching them how to identify and access trusted adults can make a meaningful difference. Schools can further strengthen these efforts through ongoing professional development and staff training that equips educators to recognize signs of distress and support students effectively.
One of the most practical parts of the discussion focused on small changes that can make support more accessible.
Candice shared how her school adapted Erika's Lighthouse self-referral cards into a digital format that students complete on their iPads. Because every student completes the activity, the process feels routine rather than stigmatizing, helping identify students who may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Kady shared a similar example from her work with schools in Nebraska. Recognizing that some students may feel uncomfortable asking for help in front of peers, she uses QR codes that allow students to discreetly connect with support when they need it. This removes barriers that prevent students from reaching out—particularly when asking for help feels intimidating or highly visible.
While these examples may seem simple, they highlight an important lesson: students are far more likely to seek support when barriers are reduced and pathways to help are clear.
Schools looking to strengthen student mental health can start with a few practical steps:
The educators and mental health professionals in this conversation offered a hopeful reminder: students want support, connection, and trusted adults who are willing to talk openly about mental health.
Schools don't need to have every answer. But by building relationships, teaching practical skills, and creating clear pathways to support, they can make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people.
Watch the webinar recording featuring educators and mental health professionals discussing these lessons and strategies in greater detail.