For Families

Erika's Lighthouse Featured on NBC5 Chicago Podcast!

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 Lighthouse programs: from classroom education to empowerment clubs, to how to have supportive conversations if you are concerned about a young person in your life.

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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 students to thrive academically, their other needs must be met. But what about their mental health? In the face of a youth mental health crisis, schools …

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Make-a-Will Month: A Legacy of Hope for Youth Mental Health

August is Make-a-Will Month—a time dedicated to the powerful act of planning for the future. While it may not be a topic we discuss every day, creating a will is one of the most thoughtful and impactful things you can do for the people and causes you love. It’s an opportunity to protect your family …

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The Cost of Spring Break: Alcohol, Risky Behavior, and Traffic Safety Concerns for Students

The Cost of Spring Break: Alcohol, Risky Behavior, and Traffic Safety Concerns for Students By: Blossom Thao (Maine State Coordinator for SADD) Spring break is all about fun, freedom, and adventures for students, but it’s also a time when risky behavior spikes, especially when alcohol and driving mix. While it’s easy to get caught up in …

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2024 Annual Report Snapshot

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRETOR Dear Friends, At Erika’s Lighthouse, we believe every student should have the knowledge and tools they need to care for their mental health. This isn’t just a statement, we put it into action. We’re proud to provide our high-quality, comprehensive depression education and suicide prevention curriculum to schools across the country, …

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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 classroom education. The  Program Report for the 2023-2024 school year also recognizes Erika’s Lighthouse’s 20th Anniversary and takes a look at how our programs have changed over the course …

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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 defined as an understanding of common mental health disorders, how to maintain positive mental health, increase help-seeking, and reduce stigma. When schools prioritize and adopt programs that teach mental health literacy, …

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A Family Workbook Series on Childhood Mental Health and Adolescent Depression

  Somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of children and teens will suffer from at least one depressive episode before they reach adulthood. These episodes come in many forms—ranging from the child who doesn’t want to go to school to the teen who is constantly in a rage to the withdrawn child who barely speaks. …

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