For Educators

Now Approved: Erika’s Lighthouse Staff Training Added to SPRC Best Practices Registry

For school administrators, counselors, and educators, managing the youth mental health crisis is one of the most serious challenges faced in classrooms today. Fifty percent...

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How to Recognize Depression in Teens: Signs Every Parent and Teachers Should Know

Adolescence is a time of immense growth, but for many, it is also when symptoms of depression first appear. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 1 in...

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Simple Breathing Techniques Teachers Can Use in the Classroom

6 Simple Breathing Techniques for the Classroom 1. The 4-7-8 Technique Popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil, this method acts as a "natural tranquilizer" for the nervous system.

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How Physical Activity Improves Teen Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing

How Physical Activity Affects the Teenage Brain When teens engage in physical activity—whether it’s dancing, basketball, or walking the dog—their bodies release...

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How Can Schools Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month in May?

What is the Positivity Pledge? The Positivity Pledge is a schoolwide awareness campaign by Erika’s Lighthouse designed for Mental Health Awareness Month in May. It is a...

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How Can I Tell if My Teen is Depressed or Just Being a Teen?

Understanding Adolescent Depression Adolescence is a period of significant physical and emotional change, which can sometimes make it difficult to distinguish between...

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The Ripple Effect: How Your Stories Power Youth Mental Health

A Shared Mission for Every Student At Erika’s Lighthouse, we sit at the intersection of professional educators and passionate supporters. While our donors provide the fuel,...

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School Refusal and Depression: How to Help Your Child Get Back to Class

Understanding the Root of School Refusal It is not uncommon for a child or teen with depression to avoid or refuse to go to school. This behavior can be disruptive...

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How Can Schools Become “Sources of Strength” for Youth Mental Health?

Building a Culture of Care in Your School Community Every student deserves good mental health, but achieving this requires more than just a single lesson—it requires a...

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The Landscape of School Mental Health Today

The current landscape of school-based mental health services is facing a “perfect storm.” While student needs are rising, schools are battling...

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Mental Health Literacy in 2026: Building a Sanctuary of Support

The Evolution of Mental Health Literacy It is 2026, and the definition of a “mentally healthy school” has deepened. While we once focused heavily on simply identifying...

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The Future of Staff Training is Here: Revolutionizing Mental Health Conversations with AI

We are on the brink of a new era in school mental health, and Erika’s Lighthouse is leading the charge. We are thrilled to unveil a...

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Empowering Youth Mental Health: Joining the Erika’s Lighthouse Professional Community Ambassador Program

In the world of youth mental health, awareness is only the first step. The real work lies in action, education, and community-building. For professionals who are...

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Stronger Together: How Strategic Alignments are Revolutionizing School Mental Health

What are S trategic Alignments? Strategic Alignments are purposeful partnerships with organizations that share our commitment to youth wellness. Whether...

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How Can 5-Minute Mental Health Breaks Improve Student Focus?

Why Students Need Mental Health Breaks In today’s fast-paced world, students are constantly bombarded with stimuli that can lead to stress,...

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Welcome, ShineLightonDepression.org Visitors! Find All Your Familiar Resources (And More) Here.

Welcome to the Source If you were trying to visit ShineLightonDepression.org, you’ve landed in the right place. While that website will shut down at the...

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Reducing Mental Health Stigma for Students and Children | Mental Health Matter: A podcast with LeeAnn Trotter, Katie Conklin, and Candice Florance

Making mental health education a priority in schools isn’t just a good idea; it’s essential. This podcast episode focuses on the effectiveness of Erika’s...

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Building a Foundation of Hope: How Schools Support Student Mental Health

When a child struggles to read, we provide a reading specialist. When a student has a fever, we send them to the school nurse. We instinctively understand that for...

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Erika’s Lighthouse Announces Inaugural Award Recipients

2024-25 Peggy Kubert Model Schools for Mental Health Excellence Erika’s Lighthouse is thrilled to recognize its first cohort of Peggy Kubert Model...

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Erika’s Lighthouse ’23-’24 Program Report

Erika’s Lighthouse releases an annual program report to highlight the impact that our programs have made in schools nationwide with our Level II and Level III...

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Share Your Story

Do you want to share your story and empower others? Erika’s Lighthouse is on a mission to provide free mental health education to any school, anywhere. Erika’s...

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Program Evaluation Surveys and Their Impact

What program evaluations are included in Erika’s Lighthouse Resources?Erika’s Lighthouse classroom education programs each come with the option to utilize...

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A Framework for Culture Change in School Communities

Erika’s Lighthouse believes every school community can be inclusive, empathetic and supportive around mental health. Our framework for promoting inclusive school...

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Enlighten Learning Management System

Erika’s Lighthouse Enlighten Learning Management System is preparing school communities around mental health. We offer a variety of course selections and hope that...

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Self-Referral Cards

One of the important aspects of a tier 1 program according to Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) is that it connects students to support and offers a referral...

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Be a Professional Community Ambassador

Erika’s Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression is a non-profit organization committed to raising awareness about youth mental health in elementary...

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Becoming Sources of Strength with Erika’s Lighthouse

Sources of Strength in a School Community Erika’s Lighthouse offers a variety of free resources that can help educators, families, staff and students serve...

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Mental Health Literacy in Schools

Erika’s Lighthouse is a beacon of hope for schools seeking to create inclusive and supportive environments where mental health matters. Mental health literacy is...

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Spreading Kindness with Erika’s Lighthouse Compliment Poster

Erika’s Lighthouse is a non-profit organization that provides mental health education and resources to schools and communities. One of their many resources is the...

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Empowerment Clubs

What programs or resources are included in Erika’s Lighthouse Empowerment Clubs? We offer opportunities for students to take on leadership roles in their schools...

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Resource Highlight: Help Seeking Worksheet

When you’re struggling with mental health challenges, it can be tough to know where to turn for help. You may feel like you’re all alone, or that you don’t deserve...

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State Expansion Through Community Ambassadors

“I am extremely satisfied with Erika’s Lighthouse Program. As a new school social worker, I find their provision of numerous free resources to be invaluable,...

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Depression Education is Suicide Prevetion

Depression is a common mental illness that affects millions of people worldwide. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, including sadness, hopelessness, fatigue,...

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Staff Training Pillar

What programs or resources are included in Erika’s Lighthouse School Policy pillar? Erika’s Lighthouse offers school communities robust resources around school...

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Staff Mental Wellness Highlight

Erika’s Lighthouse believes that practicing good mental health is just as important for educators and administrators as it is for students. Schools can create a...

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How Using New RECHARGE Program Can Support Student Learning

In today’s fast-paced world, it can be difficult for students to focus for long periods of time. They are constantly bombarded with stimuli, both in and out of the...

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As Funds Expire, Equity & Sustainability Are Key

As Funds Expire, Equity & Sustainability Are Key A flurry of recent articles has raised the reality that federal COVID-19 relief funds are set to expire, and their...

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Classroom Education’s Impact

We offer a suite of three educational programs designed to allow educators to empower their students with an introduction to mental health, depression literacy,...

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You Are Never Alone: Understanding Teen Depression & Suicide Prevention

September is National Suicide Prevention Month—a time to break the silence, look out for one another, and remind everybody that your mental health matters. If you’ve...

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The Four Pillars

Erika’s Lighthouse focuses on equipping school communities with the mental health education needed through four main pillars. Classroom Education, Family...

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Erika’s Lighthouse 2022-2023 Program Report

Erika’s Lighthouse is a nonprofit dedicated to providing free turn-key resources to educators to create inclusive school cultures around mental health. Every...

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Suicide Prevention Week: GIVE VOICE Campaign

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 15-24 in the US. Nearly 20% of high school students in the US report having serious thoughts...

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Erika’s Lighthouse: Family Engagement Conversations

Are you looking for free, turn-key family engagement resources around mental health? Access Programs The resources we offer include two youth...

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Minority Mental Health: The Importance of Culturally-Sensitive Care and How Your Donation Can Help

In 2020, suicide was the third leading cause of death for black and African American youth ages 15-19. Mental health disparities among minority groups are a severe...

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Key Club Raises Funds to Support Mental Health

The Wilmot Union High School Key Club raised funds to support mental health education by hosting a Snowball Dance at their school. Hello! My name is Katherine...

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Mental Health is School Health

The American School Health Association (ASHA) is a national, multidisciplinary professional association that collaborates with Erika’s Lighthouse and others on a...

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Promoting Student Thriving by Connecting SEL and Mental Health

Access Programs Where It Begins For many districts, the path they follow into a more systemic approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) begins with...

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Why Educators Must Focus on Student Mental Health

Access Programs Erika’s Lighthouse at SHAPE Florida I heard an amazing presentation on Erika’s Lighthouse curriculum at a conference hosted by SHAPE...

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Schools Can Address Mental Health Smarter, Better, Easier

Access Portal Another study. Another confirmation that our youth are struggling with their or their peers’ mental health. In fact, student mental health...

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Skills-Based Health Education Beyond the Classroom

Holly Alperin, Ed.M, MCHES, has worked for over 20 years in public health and education. Currently she works at the University of New Hampshire preparing...

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Erika’s Lighthouse Update on Adolescent Mental Health: February 2023

Access Programs Erika’s Lighthouse is dedicated to adolescent mental health and our mission of ensuring no young person ever feels alone in their...

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Utilizing Tier 1 Universal Supports and Practices to Provide Mental Health Education to All

Nancy Watson (LCSW, CADC) is a psychotherapist at Lake Forest Wellness (Lake Forest, Illinois) specializing in working with children, adolescents, and...

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The Power of Programs with Impact Part IV:School Policy & Staff Development

Does the school policy at your school account for students who may be experiencing mental health challenges? Do staff know how to be trusted adults? How do your...

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SEL and Mental Health Education Build on One Another

Access Programs Serving Students with SEL During a recent conversation with a colleague who is in charge of social-emotional learning (SEL) for a large...

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Educators Speak Out for Erika’s Lighthouse

New Professional Community Ambassadors program is up and running! Our newly launched Professional Community Ambassadors (PCA) program brings together volunteers...

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How Culture Affects Mental Health

Patricia Voloschin-Weiner, LCPC has been working as a therapist with children, adults, and couples for the past 30 years and has addressed a variety of...

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SADD and Erika’s Lighthouse Partnership

STUDENTS AGAINST DESTRUCTIVE DECISIONS (SADD) TO PROVIDE ITS CLUB MEMBERS WITH RESOURCES FROM ERIKA’S LIGHTHOUSE TO DEFEAT THE STIGMA SURROUNDING MENTAL HEALTH...

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Reframing the Narrative – Empowering Youth

Access Programs We have heard so much about everyone’s declining mental health – particularly our young people. In our effort to bring attention to this...

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Mental Health Education: The Power of Programs with Impact

Erika’s Lighthouse Core Value Series Part 1: Classroom Education Do you think students would benefit from depression and mental health education in your...

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A Partnership Between Erika’s Lighthouse and School Day

Chicago, Ill., September 6, 2022 – Erika’s Lighthouse and School Day announced a partnership today to collaborate and cross-promote their resources to promote a...

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Lady Gaga’s Foundation Supports Erika’s Lighthouse

Before Lady Gaga took the stage for her long-awaited concert at Wrigley Field, the star’s foundation showed support for a Chicago-area nonprofit. NBC 5’s Jen...

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CDC Report on Youth Mental Health: The Erika’s Lighthouse Perspective

Access Programs In April, the CDC published a report on youth mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The statistics are grim. But the survey also...

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The Erika’s Lighthouse Perspective to the CDC’s Recent Youth Survey on School Connectedness and Mental Health

An examination of the mental health impact of COVID-19 and how connectedness to school, family, friends and community groups impact mental health outcomes. Please...

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10 Advantages of Erika’s Lighthouse

Our programs can work in any school community. 1. Wraparound ProgrammingWe don’t just offer a standalone curriculum, we believe in impacting the whole school by...

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White Paper: Integrating Mental Health into the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model for School Health

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RESOURCE HIGHLIGHT: Shared Vocabulary

At Erika’s Lighthouse, we understand that discussing depression can be a challenging topic. As an educator or social worker, you are considered a trusted adult to the...

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White Paper: Model School District Policy on Suicide Prevention

Model School District Policy on Suicide Prevention: Model Language, Commentary, and Resources is the recognized policy for effective district-level engagement for suicide...

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