Teens Led Community Event on Mental Health Awareness and Financial Literacy

This spring, youth and families gathered for BCNC Youth Program’s community exhibition celebrating YouLead's achievements in advocacy and civic engagement. YouLead students guided attendees through interactive stations focused on mental health, peer support, gambling awareness, financial literacy, and healthy living.

To prepare for the event, students attended weekly workshops on mental health, wellness, financial literacy, and problem gambling awareness. Their journey began in December and will conclude this June. Through ice breakers, lectures, and public speaking practice, students built the confidence to share their voices and findings with their community and the world. Students also had the opportunity to tap into their artistic skills and creativity by designing the BCNC YouLead logo.

Huong and her peers choose Stress Management as the topic for their presentation. “Through mental health workshops with BCNC YouLead, I’ve learned how to turn academic stress into motivation. I now recognize stress as a signal to stay alert and prepare for the unexpected. One helpful tool I use is the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique, which helps me stay calm when I feel anxious. You can try it too: name 5 things you see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you can taste to reconnect with yourself and your surroundings.” - Huong shared.

Big thanks to our community partners: Chinese Culture Connection and Everett Haitian Community Center, and to our special guest, Dr. Heang Rubin from JSI. Thank you to Pao Arts Center for hosting our first YouLead event.

BCNC YouLead is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office of Problem Gambling Services. Read more about BCNC Youth Programs at bcnc.net/youth-center