FALL 2019 REDGEN NEWSLETTER
Welcome to your first quarterly REDgen newsletter! Here's where we'll send you REDgen team updates and let you know what we're up to in the community. Looking for more information? Check out redgen.org.
meet redgen
Student Chapters
REDgen is involved with student chapters in local schools. These groups of students work together to advocate for mental health and wellness of their student body. Students meet regularly with staff advisors to reflect on their own wellness and create activities and events to impact school culture. They focus on reducing stigma around mental health, redefining success, building resiliency and promoting balance. The student chapters build connection while engaging in a variety of activities including hosting school wide events and speakers, creating educational presentations, and collaborating with other groups to accomplish their mission.
Schools Group
The REDgen schools group has traditionally provided a forum for school professionals who serve students and families within metro Milwaukee to meet and come together. School administrators, psychologists, counselors, nurses, social workers and teachers from public, private and parochial schools have participated within the REDgen schools group. The mission has been to support, connect, and empower school staff to support the mental health and resiliency in the lives of students, staff and families. This has been accomplished through education, sharing resources and relationship building.
Currently, we are exploring innovative ways to transform this group to be able to effectively and efficiently support and empower school staff around the REDgen Mission.
Interfaith Group
The interfaith group strives to support metro Milwaukee by providing practices and resources that will promote physical, spiritual, and emotional healing and wholeness.
The REDgen interfaith group meets monthly to:
Pray for those in our community dealing with mental illness
Find new ways to support learning opportunities on the topics of mental health
Build resiliency in our children, families, and broader community
Community Outreach
REDgen’s community education focuses on topics related to wellness, resiliency, mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
Education provided to the community includes:
National-level speakers in partnership with the University School of Milwaukee
Screenings of documentaries
Parent and Teen Wellness Circles
Presentations on topics related to our mission
QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training for suicide prevention
Circle of Security parenting trainings
a generous donation
The recent growth of REDgen is made possible by a donation from the Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation, which is funded by a gift by Ab and Nancy Nicholas and will generously donate $50,000 annually for two years. This gift is intended to help build upon the success of the REDgen student chapters, which were also recognized in the 2018 Potawatomi Heart of Canal Street campaign. The impact of REDgen would not be achievable without such gifts. If you would like to join in celebrating REDgen and support the mental health of local youth, donate at http://www.redgen.org/donate
spotlight on student chapters
When REDgen student chapters began, there were five local schools with groups of students involved — today there are 16. The chapters are as far north as Port Washington and as far west as Brookfield, and are made up of five middle schools and 11 high schools. REDgen student chapters are school-based, peer-to-peer advocacy groups; the students advocate for mental health and wellness of their own peers. They aim to increase awareness and be a catalyst for change within their school culture.
The chapters use the Samaritan Family Wellness Teen Compass curriculum as a framework, focusing on eight areas of whole person wellness: healthy relationships, handling emotions, spirituality, rest and play, stress resilience, care for the body, school and work, and organization.
At this point in the school year, the student leaders have learned about the mission of REDgen, the Teen Compass curriculum, planned out their year, and begun to build relationships with the staff and each other. October will begin by diving into the first area of wellness. During the initial week the students gather to learn about their area of wellness and what it means within the context of their lives through videos, self reflection and group discussion. Throughout the rest of the month the students brainstorm how they can spread the message about the area of wellness into their school community. REDgen provides the framework but gives each school the freedom to create activities and events that speak specifically to their school culture. The students have created and led mini-lessons during homeroom, shared “Wisdom Wednesday” quotes on announcements and spoken to staff about areas of wellness. One school has a REDgen chalkboard wall displaying a different message each month — quotes and questions inviting the entire student body to engage with the wall with their own additions. Student chapters also bring local resources to their school communities, speak in assemblies, and collaborate with other groups within their schools to advocate for their mission.
To learn more about REDgen student chapters and see their impact within school communities, watch the video below!
INTRODUCING NEW BOARD MEMBERS
REDgen is excited to welcome three new board members to the team!
Adrienne Ridgeway is Executive Associate Athletic Director of Academic Services & Student Programs at Marquette. She ran track in high school and college and has worked with college athletes for many years. Adrienne has a young daughter. She understands the demands on youth today and is passionate about the REDgen mission.
Gregg Bach is Assistant Head of School at the University School of Milwaukee, and has been working in education for many years. Gregg has been a partner of REDgen for years and is responsible for the USM/REDgen speaker series. Gregg is very involved in the Milwaukee area community and is an avid biker. Gregg has young adult children.
UPCOMING REDGEN EVENTS
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