Palmetto’s Clubs Honor World Mental Health Day
October 15, 2022
On Oct. 10, Miami Palmetto Senior High School’s clubs celebrated World Mental Health Day by organizing an interactive event with therapy dogs, trivia questions and various other activities with the intention of spreading awareness about mental health.
The event took place in the media center during first lunch and featured the Palmetto Animal Welfare Society, Students Working Against Tobacco, No Place For Hate and Alliance clubs. The event hosted informational tables and therapy dogs from Heel2Heal — an organization of volunteers who aim to spread the comfort and support that therapy dogs provide throughout South Florida.
“We thought, ‘oh, what better to do than get therapy dogs,’ because they are so helpful with people’s mental health and really make people happier,” MPSH junior and PAWS president Dahlia Harris said. “There have been so many studies that [show] they increase happiness and make people’s day better literally just by petting them.”
In addition to therapy dogs, the event featured activities such as mental health trivia with SWAT club and a poster to write positive messages on from No Place for Hate. The Alliance club also shared resources and hotlines with students.
“I think all the clubs equally helped,” MPSH senior and No Place For Hate secretary Yaritza Ramos said. “We participated because as a club that is anti-bully and wants to spread positivity, we thought it was a perfect event we could fit into and we had a lot to offer.”
The event was originally planned for both lunches but was cut short before second lunch because according to their handlers, the dogs were tired. However, students who missed the event are not out of luck; the clubs are continuing the event during second lunch on Thursday, Oct. 20.
While the event centered around therapy dogs, its main goal was to educate, spread awareness and improve mental health around the school. Club officers agree that mental health is an undeniably important issue, and acknowledge that addressing it in our school is just one small step towards aiding those who are currently struggling.
“I think it is definitely a topic that should be touched upon more in schools and that students should never feel alone or feel like they cannot reach out,” Ramos said. “The resources that were provided [at the event] are actually really useful when you look into it. I just think it is a really cool event.”
