The CSIU Region Youth Mental Health Summit was held at the Campus Theatre in Lewisburg on March 27, 2024. The event, planned by students for students, was attended by hundreds of students and educators from five counties. Led by CSIU student interns Ruth Kraus (Lewisburg/Home Schooled) and Eli Seesholtz (Central Columbia High School), the day included guest speaker Sienna Sosnoski, who lost her best friend to suicide. A professional panel to answer challenging questions, videos of students sharing their mental health experiences, advice on helping a friend in need and presentations from North Schuylkill High School, Danville Area School District, Southern Columbia Area School District, and the McDowell Institute of Commonwealth University on ways student organizations are addressing mental health by transforming schools into safe spaces of love and belonging were included. The next steps include a youth advisory committee, action planning after the event, and supporting school networks through the CSIU IMPACT Grant. Themes that emerged from the teens included the need for:
Safe spaces in schools to decompress
Less stigma around mental health disorders and events
Continued suicide prevention training for all school staff
Every student to have “their person” - a safe adult in their life
Schools as a place of positivity and belonging
Better/more structures for students to get the help they need
The CSIU Board of Directors held its April meeting at the Work Foundations+ Program facility in Sunbury. Students provided building tours and shared a program overview, noting what they enjoyed most.
The Work Foundations+ program provides targeted academic and career training for secondary special education students to prepare them for post-secondary education, employment, and independent living success. The curriculum focuses on developing essential soft skills, financial literacy, and independent living competencies. Through career readiness activities in the community, students receive practical job training and experience. They are supported by CSIU transition work experience job coaches and teachers, who provide job coaching, assessments, and transportation to partner sites.
The Work Foundations+ program is a testament to the strong, supportive staff, leadership, and students who have created one large family!
Field Trip to the State Capitol and Museum
The following submission was written by Cayden Wertz, a student who attends an autistic support program at Shikellamy Middle School under the direction of his teacher, Tracy Smith, as a way to elevate student voice in the classroom:
My school went to the State Capital and the State Museum. My class and Mr. Specht, a social studies teacher brought 5 Student Council students on our field trip. We were invited to come and tour the Pennsylvania State Capital by Pennsylvania Representative David Rowe. Rep. Rowe treated us to a VIP tour exploring extra places. We saw The House Chamber. This room had lots of gold and it is where the Representatives and Governors have meetings where they debate and vote on issues.
We saw the Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis and his wife, Representative Michael Stender and Ms. Pennsylvania.
My favorite part of the trip was listening to the choirs sing from other schools. Before we went to the Capital, we went into the State Museum where we saw animals in the glass cases. I saw bison, deer, wolves, beaver and skunk. I liked the dinosaurs display. The Mastodon skeleton was unique! I’ve never seen an animal like it before.
We explored areas on space, transportation, art and about nuclear power plants. Mr. Specht shared some facts about a nuclear power plant, Three Mile Island that facing the possibility of a meltdown.
We really enjoyed our field trip!
K'Nex Competition
The 10th annual K’Nex STEM Design Challenge was held March 26-27 at the CSIU central office.
This year’s challenge addressed agricultural issues to support Pennsylvania farmers.
Leading up to the event, regional elementary and middle school students devoted months to planning, illustrating, and assembling their projects. They showcased their creativity and problem-solving skills by designing and constructing motorized machines using K’Nex building toys. These third through eighth grade students demonstrated their engineering prowess, innovative thinking and ability to apply STEM education to solve real-world problems.
First place winners for the elementary school level were Matthew Raske, Ryan Yu, Natalie Minemyer and Genevieve Little from Central Columbia.
Trophies for the winners were created out of K’Nex pieces by Columbia Montour Vo-Tech students Leland Altamirano and Corey Riba.
