How can schools better support adolescent wellbeing? Perspectives from Richmond, VA
December 2024
Wellbeing, foundational to student success both in and out of school, correlates with school engagement and academic achievement, as well as long-term health and economic security. It is an essential element in individual and community thriving.
Yet adolescent wellbeing has been on the decline for some time, with more teens each year reporting loneliness and anxiety. And in recent years, COVID-19 has accelerated these trends, especially among students with disabilities, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students, and students living in poverty or in immigrant households.
As the primary provider of structured activities for teens, how can schools act on their opportunity, if not responsibility, to support adolescent wellbeing, particularly in under-resourced communities?
To address this question, we spoke with student groups in the East End of Richmond, Virginia, a neighborhood complexly impacted by the city’s long history of de jure and de facto segregation and, most recently, gentrification. We also interviewed adults living in the Richmond area and working with adolescents. We asked all of them, What does wellbeing mean to you, and what can schools do to support it?
Our conversations suggest that investment in youth wellbeing does not necessarily require new curriculum, programs, or even staff. What adolescents most want is a supportive and fair environment, with opportunities to learn and provide input. They also want school to prepare them for their next steps in education and life.
Existing research on school wellbeing aligns with what we heard from these students in Richmond; youth tend to say they experience wellbeing in school when they have choice and voice within a supportive and connecting environment, and when they have a sense of security about their future. Compared with other studies, the students we interviewed placed particular emphasis on wanting to be heard. They said they want connection with adults who “get them,” who understand the broader context of their behaviors, and who respond to their requests for help. Adult interviewees agreed, speaking to the need to partner with youth in wellbeing conversations and schoolwork, and to engage students in connecting with their community and identity.
Recommendations
We encourage the steady, daily work of schools and nonprofit organizations to support adolescent wellbeing through building and sustaining learning environments that are fair and socially and academically engaging. From our interviews, we offer three specific recommendations within this important work:
Develop formal opportunities for adolescent input and collaboration: This can look like student leadership committees and advisory boards, surveys, or opt-in feedback and strategy sessions.
Incorporate information and skills that prepare students for their next level of education: Schools can provide student-requested mini-courses, like financial literacy, or dedicate middle school advisory time to talking about local high school options. Schools can also consider inviting “expert” adolescents or community-based adults to answer questions about high schools, area colleges, and career options.
Create opportunities for community connection within and outside of school: Schools can consider a school-based mentoring program with adults from the school or community to cultivate steady, supported student connection, goal setting, and progress. Schools can also consider building connections with their broader community through classroom projects that explore local history or invited speakers from neighborhood organizations and businesses.