Mental Health Awareness Month can be celebrated in so many ways.  At Pelham Together, we've chosen to focus on Tell A Teen They Matter, and you may have noticed the social media posts we created communicating that message. 

The idea that someone matters goes way beyond your family and loved ones - and fuels so much connectedness and belonging among young people to their communities, which boosts connectedness and belonging.  So often young people’s ideas can be dismissed because of their age, but their youthful view of life, and solving problems, can be a breath of fresh air. Teens do matter significantly to those outside their inner circles and letting them know it is a tremendous boost to self esteem, due to their "standing" in that person's life. Several programs at Pelham Together create those links to community engagement, purposeful work, and meaningful advocacy - and our teens find them motivating and rewarding.

In our Gallery of Mattering above you'll find more general thoughts about why Mattering matters, as well as quick tips on how to let teens know they matter to you.  It's very easy to let a teen know they matter, but it can be so hard to remember to do it!