Atlanta students just scored a huge win! In a move believed to be the first of its kind nationwide, Atlanta Public Schools (APS) has agreed to launch a student-led Mental Health Board during the 2024-2025 school year. This groundbreaking pilot program gives students a direct voice in tackling the youth mental health crisis, which has been skyrocketing since the COVID-19 pandemic.
From Two Minutes to Real Action: How Students Forced a Policy Change
School board meetings can be tough for students. They get just two minutes for public comment, often speaking to a board that can’t reply directly. But when student advocate Iman Cook stepped up, APS officials didn’t just listen—they acted.
After his impassioned speech, officials met with Iman and other students from the national advocacy group Our Turn. The result? A commitment to pilot a board that puts students in charge of shaping mental health support in their schools.
«I was starting high school, and I was struggling with my mental health,» said Cook, who faced the crisis after his father’s death two years ago. «I didn’t have any help at school, at all. When I tried, I didn’t get [any] help.»
Cook’s experience, combined with the organizing efforts of Our Turn’s Atlanta chapter manager, Evan Malbrough, turned a personal struggle into a district-wide policy change.
«As far as he knows, APS will be the first school district in the country to implement a program like this,» Malbrough noted.
The Pilot Plan: What the New Student Board Will Do
The APS trial will involve five schools (names pending announcement). The structure is designed to be truly student-centric:
- Student Leadership: Each participating school will nominate a student and a staff coordinator to serve on the board.
- District-Wide Impact: The board aims to host one district-wide mental health event per semester, with students leading the initiative.
- Expansion Goal: If the pilot is successful, APS hopes to expand the program across the entire district, fundamentally reshaping how mental health support is delivered.
Anne Cornell, Chief Medical Officer at CHRIS 180 (a key APS partner), emphasizes why student leadership is crucial. «When you bring the students in, they feel empowered… they make their voices heard. It’s an important step in helping students identify their needs.»
The Urgent Crisis: Why APS Needs Student Solutions
The need for this student-led board is stark. Federal data confirms that anxiety and depression rates among young people surged following the initial COVID-19 wave, accompanied by a tragic increase in youth suicides. Georgia was one of the six states most affected by the loss of caregivers due to the pandemic, adding layers of grief and trauma to students’ lives.
Cook highlighted the severe resource deficit in schools: «My peers are dealing with things like depression, anxiety and things like that. In my school specifically, I believe we have a doctor… but there are about 1,000 students in my school. That doctor can reach so many students a week.”
The reality is grim: health experts recommend a ratio of one psychologist for every 500 students. By 2022, the ratio in Georgia public schools was closer to a staggering 1 to 6,390—a massive gap that student advocacy is finally addressing.
Not Just for Valedictorians: Who They Want on the Board
The student organizers are clear: this board is for those who are actually in the trenches.
Neev Seedani, a partner at Our Turn who helped shape the board’s plans, stressed that participation is not reserved for the elite.
«It doesn’t just include high achievers. We’re not looking for students who maintain 4.0 GPAs… The thing is, we’re looking for students who are really dealing with these issues,» Seedani stated, emphasizing that real-life experience, not a «crazy resume,» is the key qualification.
Cornell agrees that a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. «Some solutions work in different schools, different cultures, and we have to embrace all of that,» he said. The student-led board is poised to deliver the individualized, student-centered solutions that Georgia’s youth desperately need.
What do YOU think? Will a student-led board finally solve the school mental health crisis? Share your thoughts below!
