A new grant will fund a youth mental health initiative in the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, public school system. As WAMC reports, the support comes at an urgent time.
The golden dome of Pittsfield High School — a grand, ivy-covered edifice built in 1931 — shines above Berkshire County’s urban hub on East Street, just steps from the city’s core. The public school serves over 700 students, making it the largest high school in the Berkshires.
“People, even in our town, think that young people are these big bad guys, and we go into small businesses and we steal so many places like you’re not allowed as a young person to go, and we have really nowhere to go for free,” said Levi Hall, a sophomore and chair of the high school’s youth advisory board. “So, if you were to go into a small business or a corporation, they would look at you as if you came with that intention. Really, you’re just looking for something to do. I know Dunkin implemented a no loitering policy, and I’ve seen people get kicked out of restaurants all the time.”
The body is a product of SPARK, or Supporting Positive Actions for Resilience & Knowledge — a Berkshire Regional Planning Commission public health undertaking aimed at improving youth peer-to-peer mental health support, reducing the use of substances, and bolstering the advocacy of young people in countywide decision making.