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.
Get Involved: Join Our Young Adult Board
The Erika's Lighthouse Young Adult Board (YAB) is composed of post-college members who host activities to raise funds and awareness about teen depression and mental health among their peers. While Erika's Lighthouse is based out of Chicago, we invite members from...
Are We Really Connecting?
The Social Challenge Today we live in a society where news and information are always at our fingertips. Communications of all kinds, photographs, information, and videos are available to download and view with just one click. We are bombarded with news, and these...
12 Phrases that Integrate Mental Health into PE
Physical Education is a key area to help bridge this divide with students. By highlighting the impact on their mental health while engaging in physical activity, students of all ages are able to understand that good physical health can promote good mental health....
‘Help them ask for help’: More calls to increase mental health education in schools
Erika's Lighthouse, a program designed to curb mental health and depression for younger adults, is hoping to bring awareness to North Carolina schools. After a year of young children and teenagers being isolated from their social groups due to the COVID-19 pandemic,...
Teaching Mindfulness: from a high school teacher’s perspective
This year, probably one of the most challenging ones in my 20+ year career, has been all about shifting, pivoting, and adapting everything we know about education to present lessons on a screen. Our mission as educators has been to provide high-quality learning...
How to support CPS students worried about going back to school
Chicago Public Schools is reopening classrooms for kindergarten through fifth grade Monday. Giving students a sense of transparency and protection is essential to smoothing this transition, mental health experts say. Some Chicago Public Schools students are counting...
How one school is coping with mental health: Social workers delivering technology, food and counseling to kids at home, and open office hours all day — even when school is out
Several times a week, Ericka Santiago-Diaz can be found driving around her low-income, underserved school community in New Jersey’s Asbury Park with bags of school supplies, replacement technology, food and donated clothing in the back seat to deliver to students. At...
You CAN Overcome
Hey friend! Yes you! Chances are that if you stumbled across this post, you or someone you know is having a rough time right now. And maybe it’s been going on for a while. There may be days where that depression hits hard, and you sit alone in your home with thoughts...
Team Resilience: Johnny Figel–Running For A Reason
Team Resilience is comprised of all of the amazing athletes that have come together to support Erika's Lighthouse in the mission to Get Depression Out of the Dark. Our team ranges from twenty to seventy-year-olds, first-time runners, to marathon experts. What do they...
Why Mental Health Advocacy Is Important to Me
Teen mental health is a very important topic to me. As someone who has struggled, bringing light to the importance of advocacy for teens is something I believe is necessary. I have always been someone who has believed in the power of doing good. Raising awareness for...
The Sirens Are Blaring
The sirens are blaring and the lights are flashing - are schools paying attention? Article after article is warning us of a dangerous trend: adolescent anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation is rising: Starting in April 2020, emergency room visits for mental health...
Program Realignment to Create Cultural Change
Erika's Lighthouse is proud to announce a change to our programs for the 2021-22 School Year. Our Program Realignment initiative will create more integration between our programs to maximize interventions to generate real cultural change in schools. Watch our recent...
Remote Learning Causing A Mental Health Crisis Among Teens And Children?
At the beginning of the school year, Paige Gagerman was highly motivated. The Deerfield High School junior got dressed each day and set herself up for a day of school at her desk, or the kitchen. But now in...
Join Team Resilience – Get Depression Out of the Dark
It’s that time of year again … the time to create your resolutions and set goals for the new year. Here’s a great one - Sign up for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Imagine yourself running around the beautiful city and crossing the finish line among runners from...
White Paper: Integrating Mental Health into the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model for School Health
Download the PDF > Abstract The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC, pronounced “wisk”) Model is an ideal framework for school communities to assess, plan and implement healthy school policies...
Turning Passion Into Action
After being pulled in so many directions at school, the sudden shift to having so much free time can trigger boredom, frustration, and can even challenge a student’s emotional health. A group of friends home from college chose to use this time to not only take care of...
Starting A Teen Club to Protect Mental Health
I recently started an Erika’s Lighthouse Teen Club at my school. Since the club’s first meeting, my friends and I have discussed and explored many mental health topics, such as stress management and art therapy! The club and I are very excited about all of our...
Resolve To Take Care Of Your Mental Health
It’s that time of year, the time for New Year’s Resolutions. So many people decide that January is the time to start taking care of their physical health. They join a gym, commit to classes and clean the kitchen of all the holiday foods that are delicious and...