21st Century Skills and Mental Health

Health Education: An Introduction

When you think of "health," as presented in a K-12 curriculum, the focus seems to be on physical activity. Participating in mandatory gym classes. Going outside for predetermined amounts of time for recess. Learning about the body and how it changes and does weird things you wish it didn't. But it pretty much ends there. It leaves out a lot of important and relevant information that is extremely beneficial for young and impressionable learners. What's the solution?

Mental Health Education: 21st Century Skills 

Health is such a large term with various branches and subjects. A curriculum based on 21st Century Skills and Development fleshes the concept of health out and presents a more balanced notion of what "health" encompasses and highlights important areas of development.

One of these focuses is on mental health. This is an impactful and relevant topic that students need to start to develop at a young age. In a digital age, where children are exposed and desensitized to a constant stream of information, images, and news they need to know how to filter information in a critical manner to ensure constant bombardment doesn't effect them in detrimental and harmful ways. Social media also adds to the mix as a younger demographic is exposed to constant judgment based on superficial and surface ideals.

Learning Outcomes

Building strong emotional integrity and creating awareness that mental health, and associated issues, are no longer taboo and need to be addressed in a safe and judgment-free environment will create a generation of self-aware and self-regulating individuals.