By Meg Sanders
One of the greatest mysteries of the universe isn’t a black hole, Big Bang or even the purpose of life, it’s actually what is going on inside our child’s head at any given moment of the day. The best time to connect is through family dinner, discussing the day’s where full plates and full bellies converge. Even then, we get “good” or “fine” leaving us wishing our kid would let the adjectives flow like the Nile River. Now multiply your child’s mind by 10,000 and that’s what the Weber Cone looks like, encompassing several elementary, junior high and high schools. If only there were a barometer to gauge what is happening inside those thousands of minds that roam our community.
Thanks to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services there is a resource to measure the emotions, thoughts and wellness of our community’s children. According to the Department of Health, “We know parents make the best decisions for their children if they have the information they need.” The Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) survey is the most comprehensive and direct resource we have to understand the challenges our youth face. Professionals learn about substance use issues, mental health struggles, social media habits and the emotional wellbeing of our kids. We can know what’s going on inside their heads!
SHARP is confidential, voluntary and germinates local statistics so our health department, schools and organizations like Weber Communities That Care can focus on the real issues. We need more data to get a better understanding and that’s where YOU come into the picture. We need more parents and guardians to enroll his/her child in the SHARP survey. Because SHARP is both voluntary and confidential, it can be difficult to get enough results, results that can save lives in our community.
This spring, between February and May, schools start administering the confidential survey to enrolled kids. Every school district and charter can participate, but we need parents and guardians to allow that. Schools have a copy of the questions asked in SHARP so drop in and ask for a copy if you have more questions. Opt-in for information.
We may not fully understand why a black hole is so powerful, not even light can escape, no one has been that far into space to ask. Luckily, we can answer one of the greatest mysteries of our universe just by enrolling in SHARP—what is my teenager thinking? Let’s ask the questions so we can get the answers.
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