I just returned from the most exciting event I’ve been to in a long time! It had all the high points that a student conference should have- inspiring speakers, excited students, and new learning about handling old challenges.
It was the Migrant Youth Wellness Day at the Skagit Valley College on March 17th, 2023. The NWESD Migrant Education Program Team (MEP) invited me to tag along to observe. Our MEP team helped coordinate this event in partnership with Mount Vernon School District, Burlington-Edison School District, Sedro-Woolley School District, Sea Mar Behavioral Health Clinic, and Skagit Valley College. Migrant youth (grades 6-12) from local communities registered to attend this event to explore the strengths and protective factors in their lives. They also learned about strategies and tools that they can use independently to manage stress and anxiety. Local counseling and support staff from their schools attended the event and let youth know they were available to support them beyond the conference.
Students got to try some of the tools and strategies for mindfulness and mental health during the day as they created murals showcasing their own traditions, cultures, and identities. They also resonated with the idea that knitting and weaving can help them work through their emotions and they each took great pride in creating mandalas. They explored how breathing practices and meditation can improve their resilience and they learned how to co-create transformational safe-brave spaces in their schools and beyond. It was heartwarming to see how open-minded they were about these practices and ideas and how helpful they all were with one another throughout the day.
When I debriefed with the MEP team after the event, they all shared how they had experienced similar opportunities during high school to explore a college or university through youth conferences. They connected those early experiences to developing new friendships, dreams, and skills that have benefited them throughout their lives. They were really excited to be able to offer a youth conference with a focus on wellness and behavioral health which is a priority in our community.
The NWESD Migrant Education team is also very excited to be hosting two upcoming Migrant Youth Conferences for the northern and southern regions of western Washington next month.
While we wait for more good news from those events, enjoy the awesome video (created by Nathaniel Soria, Multimedia & Digital Content Specialist at Skagit Valley College) to give you a sense of the amazing day.
