With the school year fast approaching, DMV-based nonprofit Positively Caviar Inc., is inviting Washingtonians to add another priority to the back-to-school checklist–supporting mental health literacy in middle school students.
In its D.C. debut, the fourth annual back-to-school summer wellness workshop, “Flourish & Grow,” is set to take place at the R.I.S.E Demonstration Center in Southeast on Saturday, Aug. 16, empowering young scholars with the practical tools to manage stress, establish healthy habits, and build mental resilience that lasts beyond adolescence.
“The long term implications that people don’t realize with mental health is poor school performance, higher dropout rates, shorter life expectancy, and especially in some of these underserved communities, mental health plays a huge role in every facet of your life,” said Chazz Scott, executive director and chief creative optimist of Positively Caviar. “We’re really trying to help people understand that mental wellness is a full suite of life.”
From tackling decision-making skills and relaxation techniques, to encouraging vulnerability in discussions of mental health, Positively Caviar is giving away more than free school supplies to equip middle schoolers in and out of the classroom. The day will include immersive educational experiences from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a packed itinerary featuring affirmation exercises, healing techniques, and even a presentation from a nutritionist during lunch.
As the organization gears up for a Southeast takeover, Positively Caviar co-founder Nikki Abraham boosts the experience as a potential “game-changer” for youth in D.C., where nearly 3,000 adolescents between the ages of 12-17 experience major depressive episodes annually, with more than a third receiving no treatment at all.
“This age group is facing a mental health crisis, so to speak,” Abraham told The Informer. “Everything [we’re doing is] playing a part in shifting the mindset…and I’m excited to meet new kids and see how our workshop can affect them in their day to day.”
Teaching Adolescents to Prioritize Mental Health: ‘We Speak to Where They Are’
While reflecting on the forthcoming day of events, Scott, Abraham and chief program officer Shayma Sulaiman say tackling mental health is a universal mission not limited to a specific population or demographic.
However, given the impressionable age of middle school students, coupled with the crucial period of brain development, Scott told The Informer a proactive initiative like Flourish & Grow would have benefitted him as a growing adolescent.
“I wish I knew all this stuff when I was younger…it would have completely transformed my life,” the executive director admitted. “The exposure is just a start; you have to actively go seek these resources…but imagine getting [them] earlier in life and having something to fall back on.”
Some of these pivotal resources range from methods of mindfulness, such as yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises, to positive practices strengthening the values of self-worth, identity and confidence.
To build better external relationships, scholars can look forward to activities rooted in team-building and problem-solving, touted in tandem with the importance of developing empathy, communication skills and connection.
What sets Positively Caviar apart from the average youth initiative, Scott notes, is the organization’s added focus of supporting vulnerable populations in a culturally relevant way.
Despite a plethora of resources available to youth of all ages and backgrounds, the chief creative optimist admits part of the disconnect for young African Americans lies in reactive responses, cultural incompetence, or simply not addressing the long-time stigmas preventing youth from seeking help.
“We speak to where they are. We understand the language,” he continued, “and we know some of the struggles that they’ve been through because we’ve been in those same shoes.”
Abraham points to the wellness organization as a pillar for disrupting generational barriers and the proper ways to address it. Rather than chopping therapy up to something “you can go to the gym or church for,” she said more communities of color should learn to celebrate the resource for what it is: a strength— notably one that can assist with prevention.
“[By] showing adolescents that there’s other avenues, and…getting in there early to create space for them to express themselves, we can prevent all of these negative thoughts or feelings,” Abraham highlighted, “or just regulate emotions, ultimately.”
‘A Doorway to the Community’
With the Aug. 16 programming in mind, Sulaiman told The Informer part of the goal is to foster a collective environment with youth advocacy at the forefront.
“[Flourish & Grow] is a doorway to the community. We’re working with these kids, but we’re hoping to be in those schools…to really connect and reach out,” she said, before adding that Positively Caviar acts as a complement to existing mental health structures, not a replacement.
In addition to the organization’s own year round initiatives, community outreach plays a vital role in maintaining relationships with workshop attendees and ensuring that mental wellness is a priority beyond the summer experience.
Abraham highlighted a focus on staying connected with scholars and institutions through local partnerships, post-event surveys, and positive social media interactions. Meanwhile, Scott noted the importance of gauging parents and schools alike in the effort to truly uphold the age-old adage of “it takes a village to raise a child.”
“A lot of the time the parents aren’t mentally sound, they’ve got a lot of stress and a lot of demands and distractions, so they also need assistance,” the organization’s director told The Informer, “and that affects their children’s mental health.”
In a February article, Child Mind Institute author Rosa Klein-Bear, with support from licensed clinical social worker Grace Berman, emphasizes the need for parents to prioritize their wellness, “How to Model Healthy Coping Skills.” Among the list of positive practices for parents to lead by example include: taking space after a tense interaction, practicing paced breathing amid inconveniences, or having a daily yoga practice.
As for garnering continuous support from academic institutions, the CDC’s 2024 mental health and well-being action guide offered critical findings in support of prioritizing mental wellness in schools:
- After implementing meditation for 15 minutes a day, high school students reported lower anxiety and increased resilience at the end of the school year.
- Middle and high school students experiencing mild to moderate depression benefit from small-group mindfulness interventions.
- Research shows lower levels of self-reported depressive symptoms and negative coping behaviors (i.e.: disengagement, denial, substance abuse, self-blame) among middle school students.
Further, Scott spoke to the importance of creating a space where youth can express negative feelings free of shame or judgement, even in the more crucial cases of depression, suicide or feelings of self-deprecation.
“That’s the problem,” he told The Informer. “When we feel like we’re going to be judged…we’re not going to continue to express how we feel to get the help that we need.”
For Scott, the ideal solution is making room for comfort and validation, only to be followed up with the right tools to address it, which is a system he applauds in the work of both Positively Caviar and Flourish & Grow.
Touting his excitement for the Aug. 16 wellness event, Scott told The Informer the journey to ensure all youth thrive mentally is a work in progress; however, it’s a mission that will continue to prosper throughout D.C.
“This [is] something that parents get, kids need, and we’re starting to see a lot of interest in terms of sponsorships,” said Scott. “The community knows the importance, so we’re trying to continue to push.”
