WEST COVINA, CA – Edgewood Schools’ blue and gold campus was bedecked in lime green – the color associated with mental health awareness – during West Covina Unified’s inaugural Mental Wellness Festival on May 18, which connected families with mental health resources and aimed to reduce stigma.

The free festival featured nearly a dozen sessions on breaking the stigma, cyber safety, improving one’s wellbeing, healthy and unhealthy relationships, living with someone who has mental health challenges and information on the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“West Covina Unified is committed to promoting socioemotional wellness both in and out of the classroom and to ensuring families have access to vital resources,” WCUSD Director of Student Services Dr. Marc Trovatore said. “We are thankful to our students, staff and community partners who came together to put on this outstanding festival.”

WCUSD families and community members also gathered giveaways and enjoyed live entertainment, meditation clinics, concessions and family-friendly activities as they explored booths from local health and wellness organizations.

The WCUSD Board of Education declared the intent to establish mental health clubs on each middle school and high school campus in 2018-19; upon achieving its goal, the District planned the festival to expand mental health awareness to the WCUSD community.

Each WCUSD mental health club hosted a booth that highlighted its campus involvement and activity for attendees, including a photo booth, a balloon-popping game to “burst the stigma” and a yarn pompon-making station.

“I think it’s important to raise mental health awareness in school so students know they’re not alone and that there are others who feel the way they do,” said Erika Camacho, a Coronado High junior and mental health club member. “I’m happy that our schools and our district are making mental health a priority.”

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WCUSD_MENTAL_WELLNESS: West Covina High School’s Bulldogs Ending Stigma Together (BEST) Club members “burst the stigma” with a balloon-popping activity during the WCUSD Mental Wellness Festival on May 18.