Blog
Stay connected with Erika’s Lighthouse. Read personal stories, hear about program updates, explore ways to improve mental health and stay relevant with commentary on the latest topics.
Fake It Till You Make It
Being a teenager with depression feels lonely, dark, and wrong in every way. Why should I be sad when I have an amazing loving family and a group of friends to always laugh with? The constant ring in your ear of, “What’s wrong with me?” There's not always an answer to...
Connecting With Professionals Anytime, Anywhere
Feedback on discussion forums has been clear: participants appreciate the opportunity to learn from and reflect on their practice with colleagues across the country. Participating in an online forum in which everyone can connect with peers and engage in meaningful...
Top 10 Reasons to Join Team Resilience
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is one of the most prestigious races as one of six Abbott World Marathons. Running among athletes from around the world throughout the landscape of the City of Chicago, being cheered on every step of the way, is a feeling...
When The Outside Does Not Match The Inside
I am the parent of a suicide survivor. Even typing these words brings on a whirlwind of emotions. I remember the day my son attempted to take his life and the shock and sadness I felt that somehow I had completely failed him. How did I not see that he was hurting so...
Meeting Educators to Meet Students
The world of education today is laser-focused on meeting students where they are at - promoting equity, using sensitive and trauma-informed approaches and recognizing the unique needs and challenges of each student. We applaud these efforts and support educators in...
A Parent’s Handbook on Childhood and Teen Depression
Somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of our children and teens will suffer from at least one depressive episode before they reach adulthood. These episodes come in many forms—ranging from the child who doesn’t want to go to school to the teen who is constantly in a...
Change Is In The Air
Autumn has arrived. Where I live, you can see the leaves change color and feel the bittersweet chill in the air. My school community is focused on Octoberfest and all things pumpkin and pumpkin spice, apples, Halloween costumes, and candy. The schools are buzzing with...
Joining A Club: What’s In It For Me?
Becoming more social and developing self-confidence has taken time for me. Back when I was in middle and high school, I was shy, quiet and reserved. Joining a sports team and a social awareness club in high school was out of my comfort zone but ultimately helped me to...
Seasonal Affective Disorder
September often marks a big transition--the end of summer, the start of a new school year and shorter daylight hours. While some people look forward to all things pumpkin spiced and sweatshirt weather returning, others approach this change with genuine concern....
Preparing You for a Challenging Year
As we embark on a new school year it seems that everything is important. Parents, educators and teens are concerned about health, academic development, friendships and socialization, sports, extracurriculars and everything in between. This is complicated by the disparate nature of education for students: in-person, remote, hybrid and the other creative options being utilized to keep children, teens and communities physically safe and healthy.
Be A Friend, Find A Friend
March 13, 2020, me and my friends pack up to leave school, excited about the extended spring break. True, all of our plans to travel had been canceled due to this new virus that had just started spreading across the country. Did I ever think that when I walked out the...
Second Step and Erika’s Lighthouse – 2020-21 School Year Implementation
With the start of the 2020-21 school year, social emotional learning (SEL) and the topic of mental health are more important than ever for both students and educators. While Erika’s Lighthouse primarily offers classroom-based programs focusing on depression education,...
Embrace the Chaos
We are living in a time that is different from any other time in history on many levels. For many, it seems like we are living in a state of perpetual chaos. COVID-19 has put a spotlight on uncertainty, created the need to isolate and lose connections with support...
Creative Classes Count
“No singing...”“No movement...”“No choir...”“No wind instruments...”(OK full disclosure, this gets rid of the recorder which is not an entirely bad thing if I’m honest... but I digress.) Music is the international language. We really have two viruses right now that we...
Resource Highlight: Intervention Language For Educators
What does it mean to be a “Trusted Adult?” According to our Shared Vocabulary, a trusted adult is a person whom teens feel comfortable or safe to turn to when they have a problem, need help, have embarrassing or difficult questions, and just need/want to talk to...
Back To School During A Pandemic
If 2020 has taught us one thing it is that we need to be flexible and resilient as everything is changing, sometimes even daily. Words we have heard more than we ever thought possible include unprecedented, social distancing, pandemic, masks, etc.When it comes to...
Every Step I Take In Memory
On September 26th, 2017 my world forever changed; my little brother, my best friend, had passed away. Nathaniel John Bauer was only 19 years old. He was a sophomore in college, still unsure of what to do with his life, but he knew he wanted to change the world....
The Power of You: Creating Inclusive Communities
Over the years we have seen incredible research showing the power of a trusted adult in the life of young people. Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child released a study saying, “Every child who winds up doing well has had at least one stable and committed...
