With the recent awareness about mental health, Owatonna Student Council has decided to dedicate a week to mental health at OHS. They will have a variety of activities including dedicated days and informational tools to use to bring awareness and inform the student body.

OHS Mental Health Week will take place March 14 – March 18. Awareness shirts and other clothing will be on sale in the commons all throughout the week with $2 from every sale being donated to the local Steele County Crisis Resource Center. Monday will kick off the week with a fidget themed day, student council will be giving out stress balls and other fidget items during lunch. The next event will be No Tech Tuesday with the goal being to take a break from social media. The final event for the week will be wearing yellow on Wednesday for suicide awareness. On Wednesday there will also be a yoga class offered to students during compass time in the afternoon.

Sophomore student council member Kate Sande said, “This week will be helpful for many reasons. It brings awareness to the student body and community. It will provide information educating people on specific mental illnesses, and how to help others that are facing them.” 

The student body and the OHS Student Council hopes that the awareness that is brought throughout the week can be used well into the future. Freshman Logan Langeberg said, “Mental health is important to be aware of and to work on, not just for a week but for our whole lives dealing with stress is important.” With this in mind the student council hopes to make this event an annual thing.