Suicide is the second highest cause of death among children aged 10 to 14. This observation is a more significant trend in recent years, as an increasing proportion of young people suffer from mental health difficulties. In response to this crisis, PBS Learning Media’s online education platform has developed Student Mental Health Matters: A Toolkit for Educators. The toolkit is a free online resource that includes expert and student perspectives on mental health.
The toolkit, developed by public media producers collaborating with mental health organisations, empowers educators with knowledge and tools to promote student mental health. It features over 50 videos and supporting materials with information from mental health experts, school administrators, and elementary, middle, and high school students.
The toolkit covers five key areas: suicide prevention, stress and anxiety, self-harm, adverse childhood experiences, and social media. Although it is aimed at educators, Student Mental Health Matters is available for anyone to use.
PBS LearningMedia offers free educational resources for PreK–12 educators and students. The company aims to enhance educator practice and equitable student learning through educational resources. More than 60 PBS stations nationwide collaborate with community educators to create materials for PBS LearningMedia. The platform works with numerous organisations and individuals to develop collections of standards-aligned content, lesson plans, and other resources. PBS LearningMedia supports the highest privacy standards for its users. It takes child and student digital privacy and security seriously, and the organisation has implemented policies and procedures to ensure these standards are met and maintained.
