Mental health is a rising problem in teens, especially those in high school.

Wheat Ridge and other schools have taken action against this rising concern. Strength and conditioning is a program at Wheat Ridge.

It started three years ago as a diverse group to highlight positive activities in the building, and make kids more aware of their strengths. Sources of strength has become more well known this year because of a grant that they received from The office or suicide prevention of Colorado. With this grant, they were able to make the possibilities bigger, train teachers and have 60 student participants . The teachers were taught about the program and how to spot warning signs in students so that they could prevent self harm and suicide in teens.

Wheat Ridge High School has been trying to make the program more known around the school. There were games at the homecoming assembly where they talked about and implied the eight strengths. The students who are in Sources of Strength all volunteered to be in the program. Jennie Bleckley, a social worker at the school is the coordinator of the program while other teachers like Brittney Hovland, Arik Heim, and Matt Couch, provide additional support.

Bekely and the teachers hope to get more support from the school to help the group become more known throughout the school. This program is just starting to grow and will continue to grow with the help of our peers.