 Adolescent Wellness, Inc. (AWI) Newsletter |
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AWI Newsletter
December, 2014
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Symbols are often quicker to communicate big ideas than numbers:
- pieces of a puzzle
- a key to unlock a barrier
- a musical note, both high and whole
- 27,000
Whoops - I cannot wait any longer to share the number! Over 27,000 young people have exercised activities to improve coping skills using resources we helped to create and continue to promote. Over 10,000 in schools that implemented the formal curriculum Break Free From Depression another 17,000 finding activities on their own in the virtual Wellness Center to build grit and resilience.
If you are near Boston the evening of January 22, celebrate the number 27,000 with me. We will recognize the clinicians who created these resources and thank you for helping to fund them.
The ultimate symbol of wellness is a group of healthier kids; come meet some of the teen mentors from the Rotary Interact Clubs of Wellesley and Weston - click here to join us on the 22nd!
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Did you know...
... the '22 Project' success?
You may recall that researchers find 1 case of depression is prevented for every 22 kids exercising better coping skills. Last year AWI launched the '22 Project' to make it easier for all kids to access activities that build healthy coping skills.
The three goals of our project are to:
- extend access to training and the manual for Break Free From Depression well beyond the 50 schools
using it in Massachusetts
- help teen mentors, in the form of a toolkit,
introduce healthy coping activities to peers
- help adults become comfortable introducing to all
children, age 8-15, the virtual Wellness Center
The result?
-4 schools trained in Puerto Rico and implementing the Break Free From Depression curriculum
-Rotary Interact teen mentors from three communities co-facilitating activities locally and also connecting with teen mentors at the 4 schools in Puerto Rico
-a library of training clips for adults to quickly
understand the virtual Wellness Center
This was achieved through an AWI collaboration with clinicians from the Freedman Center for Child and Family Development (William James College), the Swensrud Depression Prevention Initiative (Boston Children's Hospital) and international Rotary and Interact members plus private donors. Meet everyone who made it happen at the Winter Blues!
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Wellness Project volunteers from Rotary, Rotaract & Interact clubs
 Tom DeRiemer of the Rotary Club of Wellesley presents the official Certificate of Organization dated September, 2014 to Interact officers Nathan Chiu, Teddy Sevilla, Nicole Frontero and Matthew Keep. The Interact club of Wellesley has 21 teens from the communities of Sherborn, Weston and Wellesley.
 Following training provided to schools in the area, the Rotary Club of San Juan provided Rotary Club of Wellesley president, Mitch Freeman, its banner.of San Juan. Mr. Freeman is flanked on his left by wellness project volunteers Fred Wright and Michael Stedman, and on his right by Nora Pou, John Adams, Vin Spoto and Bob Anthony.
Five members of the Babson College Rotaract club volunteered for the wellness project - pictured are Jonathan Kohlmeier, Bernardo Moreno and Katherine Will (not pictured are Josh Boutin and Kali Diamond).
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Liceo Ponceno hosts train-the-trainer (TTT) on Break Free From Depression
On November 7, the President of the Rotary Club of San Juan, Jorge Gonzalez, launched the Wellness Project in Puerto Rico. Jorge (pictured in peach shirt below) introduced our group to the first of the four schools he arranged to participate in the project.
Faculty from Liceo Ponceno and graduate students from the Ponce School of Medicine participated in a three-hour workshop in preparation for implementing the Boston Children's Hospital curriculum.
This training was organized locally by Jorge Vazquez (in blue blazer), the District 7000 Rotary Foundation chair, and Mildred Pereles (in stripe top) the President of the Perla Del Sur Rotary Club. Mildred is also Vice-Principal of Liceo Ponceno.
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TASIS Dorado hosts TTT on Break Free From Depression
 | | Nadja Reilly, PhD, at TASIS Dorado |
The Rotary Club of Dorado organized the consulting and workshop with the TASIS Dorado school leaders. 14 faculty members participated in the workshop. The school will invite Interact teens to train as peer mentors and co-facilitators.
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Robinson hosts TTT on Break Free From Depression
 | | Speaking at Robinsion is Marta Rivera Plaza, Executive Director, Hospital San Juan Capestrano |
The Rotary Club of San Juan helped organized the workshop on the Robinson School campus. Senior leaders from the mental health provider Hospital San San Capestrano joined with consulting psychologist Nadja Reilly and 28 faculty members on November 10. Teen mentors there communicate with mentors here beginning in January.
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Commonwealth hosts Break Free From Depression trainers
 | | Commonwealth School robotics competitors |
Dr. Rullan and Ray Erb of the Rotary Club of San Juan met Nadja Reilly, PhD, and Bob Anthony at the Commonwealth campus to consult with school leaders preparing to implement the curriculum.
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The people who make it happen; we are very grateful to the current AWI volunteers listed below:
- Bob Anthony - President
- Anthony Schweizer - Chair
- Calvin Place - Director, Winter Blues co-host
- Chip Douglas - Director
- Roberta Boylen - Winter Blues co-host
- Kathy Curley
- Lisa Siegel - teen mentors
- Carrie Sandstrom - SADD mentor representative
- Youth Advisory Board members
- Cindy Hurley - Wellesley HS counselor
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Adolescent Wellness, Inc. | 103 Old Colony Road | Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481 |
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