Photo from the Mental Wellness Student Leadership Summit 2025 where nearly 50 schools shared ideas to uplift mental wellness.
Youth Voice Promotes Mental Health
Mental Wellness Student Leadership Summits
In April 2025, OCMH convened students and staff advisors from nearly 50 high schools who participate in student-led school-based wellness programs. Attendees spent a day in Madison learning about youth mental health, sharing ideas, and developing wellness activities to bring back to their schools. The student leaders and staff advisors who participated have the potential to impact nearly 40,000 students across Wisconsin!
Students at the 2025 and 2024 Mental Wellness Student Leadership Summits shared their insight and recommendations on a variety of topics. The publications driven by youth voice are below.
What's on the Minds of Wisconsin Youth:
Academic pressure and achievement culture top the list.
Balance, support, and safety are key elements to a strong foundation in mental wellness.
Youth recommend less judgement and more kind, inclusive school cultures to improve youth belonging at school.
High school students agree that addressing mental wellness should start earlier. They share thoughts on how to address it in middle school.
Teens share uplifting reminders for their peers across Wisconsin.
We asked youth what they want adults to know about their mental health, and overwhelming, they simply want to be heard.
Partnering With Youth
In order to meaningfully engage and empower youth leaders, there must be genuine partnerships between young people and supportive adults in a safe and respectful environment. Ample opportunities to plan and make decisions, as well as shape policy and practice, are also key components to youth leadership.
OCMH is encouraging individuals and organizations throughout the state to meaningfully engage and empower youth leaders. Be intentional about including their voice in your work. Below are a few key resources on how to incorporate youth voice in your organization or school:
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