Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Wednesday awarded $15 million to schools throughout the state for a new mental health initiative.
The “Get Kids Ahead Initiative” will utilize the money to “provide direct mental healthcare, hire and support mental health navigators, provide mental health first aid and trauma-based care training, or provide family assistance programs.”
“We know that long before the pandemic hit, kids across our state were already facing immense challenges with their mental health, but as parents and educators are seeing firsthand, these challenges have only been made worse by the isolating and traumatic events of the past two years,” said Gov. Evers. “These funds will go directly towards whatever mental health support and services our kids need so they can be successful both in and out of the classroom to help them grow, learn, and get ahead.”
As noted by Evers, the coronavirus lockdowns and remote learning have provided many negative consequences to students. One study showed that remote students are more likely to be stressed than their in-person counterparts.
Many Republicans in the state have blamed Evers for an extended lockdown period. Even early this year, the governor allowed two of the state’s largest school districts to return to virtual classrooms, forcing students to learn from computer screens.
However, the Evers administration seemingly seeks to reverse these challenges through the extra funds that guaranteed every public school district $10,000, if they opted into the program.
“This funding to support student mental health is already going out the door and making a difference in the lives of Wisconsin’s children,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jill Underly. “I commend the governor for his leadership, and for ensuring that this funding was both flexible enough for schools to access it effectively and intentional enough that it is truly addressing students’ needs.”
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Wisconsin Daily Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tony Evers” by Tony Evers.
