EMOTIONAL HEALTH MATTERS
School Assembly Program
A 40-55 minute engaging assembly that is
fun,
informative,
musical
and memorable!
For elementary, middle and high school students.
This program helps meet National Health Education Standards regarding emotional management and Arts Academic Standards related to music.
What do you talk about?
We highlight common symptoms of mental health concerns that typically arise for students during elementary school (anxiety, ADHD, depression, autism, etc.). For middle and high school students we delve a little deeper into depression and sometimes suicidal ideation.
The stories we use are quite relatable to any human being, yet also highlight the distinction between universal human struggles and when a person needs to reach out for professional help.
Throughout the program we teach students how they can reach out for help (through stories, songs, and an activity).
We will laugh together, sing together, and engage in some silly (yet compelling) activities to reduce shame/stigma surrounding mental health concerns.
If you would like to see a video of this full program actually being done at an elementary school, please ask! We will send you the video link.
Meet your presenters!
Dr. Nate Page is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Group Psychotherapist.
Nate had his first panic attack in 5th (and later struggled with OCD and depression) but did not reach out for help until he was 22 years old! Nate shares his personal mental health journey with engaging stories, activities and musical examples. He helps students connect with silliness and laughter while also grasping the seriousness of undiagnosed mental health concerns.
Virginia Page is a 5th grade student in Northfield, MN. She is an emerging public speaker, and also plays bass for this assembly program. Virginia shares parts of her story related to neurodiversity.
So, you talk and do music?
Yes!
We incorporate a few songs into our story telling, and the program culminates in the audience helping us sing an original song, Reach Out, which solidifies our message. It's a super catchy tune, and we hope that it will help the message "stick" in the minds of your students. Elementary school students love it, and we've been surprised at how much middle school and high school students get into it.
It's fun to rock out together!
We have a wheeled cart with a digital piano, bass guitar, wireless microphones, and powerful speakers. Set up only takes about 5-10 minutes and all we need is access to a power outlet.
Why do you offer this program?
According to data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the average delay between the ONSET of symptoms and the first INTERVENTION is 8-10 years. That is a long time! Imagine if you broke your arm, but didn't visit a doctor for 8-10 years.
Unfortunately many mental health concerns go undetected, and untreated, for several years. I had my first panic attack when I was about 10 years old (and later struggled with OCD and depression) but never reached out for help until I was 22 years old and in college. Today (at age 39) I'm doing much better, but I suffered unnecessarily for years because I didn't know how to reach out for help.
There were two reasons I didn't reach out for help earlier: (1) I was scared people would think I was weak, crazy, or simply a bad person, and (2) I never knew there was an entire profession dedicated to helping people with my exact concerns.
This EMOTIONAL HEALTH MATTERS School Assembly Program helps young students (as well as teachers, staff, and parents) practice identifying, expressing, and managing strong emotions. We pay particular attention to ANGER, SADNESS, JOY and ANXIETY/FEAR and explore some of the mental health challenges that can crop up in elementary school (e.g. anxiety, depression, body image and eating concerns). Each emotion is coupled with engaging stories, activities and musical examples. There is always a lot of silliness and laughter, as well as a strong sense of belonging and valuing each other.
I always encourage school principals to invite parents to attend this assembly program. Of course there are sometimes logistical limitations, but even if 10% of parents are able to attend it makes a big difference in helping reduce stigma and improve cultural norms surrounding help seeking.
Oftentimes schools use this assembly as an opportunity to improve their connections with local mental health resources. Occasionally, local clinics have offered to sponsor the school assembly program. The primary goal of this program is prevention and early detection to curb concerns long before a crisis develops.
I usually bring my own musical equipment (sound system, digital piano, microphones, etc.). I find that adding music to this program makes it so much more fun and exciting! I also believe that using music helps students remember the main message better (to reach out). The original song that I wrote for this program is called "Reach Out" and my goal is to get the lyrics stuck in everyone's head.
When a school is able to provide a projector, laptop, and screen the program is slightly better because I can show some pictures while presenting the content. It's not necessary, but a nice addition.
I look forward to communicating with you about the possibility of doing a school assembly program! Usually the best way to contact me is through the Contact Form (below).
-Nate Page, PhD
Licensed Psychologist and Certified Group Psychotherapist
For the full assembly program with live music we need 10 minutes to set up equipment, and 5 minutes to take everything down.
COST: $750
Additional travel costs for schools located more than 45 miles from Northfield, MN
DISCOUNT for schools within the same district that book on the same day. Single school cost = $750, Two schools =$1,250 ($625/school), Three schools = $1,620 ($540/school).
Thanks for visiting our webpage about the Emotional Health Matters School Assembly Program!
Please reach out to me with any questions. I'm happy to consult with you to see if this program would be a fit for your school at this time.