MONDAY: Project Daylight: A Mental Health Workshop for Teens (13ish+) with The Coterie and AnySchoolers

Parking and classroom map will be shared via email prior to the event to registrants. This event does NOT OCCUR at the Coterie Theater Stage inside of Crown Center! It occurs in the office building adjacent to Panera Bread, where the Coterie has classrooms.

Hard Times? Email anyschoolers@gmail.com for a special code for a free ticket to this event, as long as you guarantee your teen's attendance.

AnySchoolers is bringing mental health support to homeschoolers in partnership with The Coterie Theater! This program is entirely written and produced by The Coterie, and AnySchoolers is bringing the mental health professional for support. The content is written for teens 13-17, but homeschool parents are welcome to evaluate whether your 12 year old or 18 year old are emotionally older/younger than your child's chronological age.

From the Coterie Website: 

There are many schools in the greater Kansas CIty area with little or no teen mental wellness support. Kansas City educators have communicated the need for programming for middle school students on mental health. The hope of Project Daylight is to create early intervention and, as a result, prevent serious mental health crisis in later years. Project Daylight is inspired by true stories of young people in Kansas City who have experienced anxiety and/or depression. The program weaves together live performance, interactive learning, and practical tips for nurturing and managing one’s own mental health. In this classroom experience, students who participate in Project Daylight will:

• Practice perspective-taking
• Analyze how emotions impact thoughts and actions
• Understand strategies used to de-escalate the brain's natural fight or flight reaction
• Feel empowered to communicate their needs to trusted adults or peers

With the aid and oversight of area counselors, The Coterie has developed this program to destigmatize the process of seeking mental health support.

Project Daylight supports mental wellness in pre-teens/teens. Pairing a trained actor/facilitator with a graduate student in social work, the classroom-sized session addresses mental health through an innovative, interactive theatre workshop that introduces middle school students - an often-underserved group - to mental wellness concepts. Project Daylight's goals are to de-stigmatizing asking for help, opening dialogue, and providing resiliency tools.

• Captures students attention with dramatic presentation based on real stories of Kansas City teens dealing with anxiety and depression
• Engages students with on-your-feet wellness activities moderated by UMKC Masters of Social Work students paired with a professional actor/facilitator
• Introduces self-management skills to regulate emotions and to monitor/achieve behaviors related to school and life success
• Aims to create early intervention and, as a result, prevent serious mental health crisis in later years

In-Person Classes:  Students must be in-person to participate, allowing access to the counselor (Vanessa Knight, LCPC, NCC, CCMHC). Length:  45-50 minutes.