“Just putting a song on can change your mood,” says our next #SCHancetaker. “I’ve found, in my teenage years, that music has helped me get through a lot.”
When Ava, a junior who has a love for music and SCH's music programs, began to talk candidly about mental health and her experience in music therapy—when she took a chance on being vulnerable—the floodgates opened. She co-leads a mental health club (SCHmental Health) and, realizing she could help guide others to appreciate the power of music and community, she shaped her Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Capstone project around the aim to improve access to mental health resources in schools.
Now Ava is embracing yet another chance: Through CEL, she’s planning a weeklong specialty Summerside camp at SCH focused on mindful music in which 4th, 5th, and 6th graders will “harness the power, positivity, and joy of music” through listening, lyric creation, and basic music production.
I believe that music is an important tool to help children find and express themselves while also connecting deeply with others,” she says. “Kids are so creative; I can’t wait to see what they can do!”