By Katie Servas and Gemard Guery – Editors-in-Chief

During the Martin Luther King Day weekend, Jonathan Law senior Aislinn Burns and SAVE Promise Club advisor Ms. Healy attended the Sandy Hook Promise Winter Institute to meet with the Youth Advisory Board (YAB), their advisors, and the SAVE team.

While attending the training, they discussed many different topics including a discussion about Martin Luther King Jr. and his speeches that focused on his value of non-violence. They also visited the King Center the following day.

“We talked about what our ‘dream school’ would look like and spoke about school climate,” Burns said. “We also spoke about the current discrimination and racism still present in schools/in general, planned activities for Say Something Week and National Youth Violence Prevention Week, and I presented about our SAVE Promise Club here at Law.”

While Burns was with other members of the YAB, Healy participated in workshops with other SAVE advisors around the country.  

“So my role is on the Student Advisory Council as Aislinn’s advisor, and all of us advisors would meet separately about different subjects compared to the Youth Advisory Board,” Healy said. “One of the meetings we had was to review pieces of ‘curriculum’ that Sandy Hook Promise had put together for schools to use for their ‘Say Something’ activities and we gave feedback on how we thought the activities could be better implemented if schools were to use them.”

The SAVE Promise Club has exponentially grown especially since the start of the school year. As the year has progressed, many ideas from the Youth Advisory Board have been incorporated into the SAVE Promise club at Law. Many of these ideas and activities are mirroring other clubs to further educate students and spread awareness of mental health, especially in school atmospheres.

“This weekend I learned a lot about nonviolence, discrimination, and school climate,” Burns said. “The best thing about the Youth Advisory Board is that all 13 of us are from all over the country with different experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives which is what makes discussions more meaningful and educational.”

The YAB builds program guidelines for each SAVE Promise Club together for events like “Say Something Week, Mindfulness Day and Wear Green Days.  

Burns has seen growth within her school community as well as herself while spending time on the Youth Advisory Board. 

“My time on the board has helped shape me into who I am today and has allowed me to become much more aware of what’s going on around me as well as empowered me to advocate for myself and others,” Burns said. “I have learned a lot not only about the programs and discussion topics but about myself as well.”

Not only has Burns enjoyed her time on the YAB but so has Healy, becoming a member of the Student Advisory Council this year.

“This was my first time being able to join the whole YAB and SAC group because I couldn’t attend the Summer Institute and I just really loved getting to know the other advisors and student board members,” Healy said. “It is a really unique little community full of such passionate, hard-working, and creative people and I am really looking forward to the Summit in April because the YAB group has really put together an awesome plan.”

Both Healy and Burns are ready to grow and educate students within SAVE Promise Club as well as through Law.