On Feb. 25, the Wellness Center of Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) hosted its annual Wellness Faire. Taking place during Foothill Intervention, Reinforcement, and Enrichment (FIRE) and lunch, the event featured representatives from numerous agencies and organizations, including the County of Ventura Human Services Agency, Ventura County Behavioral Health and El Concilio speaking to students about their work and impact.
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It’s important that you know your rights and that you’re aware of what services are out in the community so that whether you’re going through it or maybe other peers are going through it, that you have the resources available to support your peers as well as you.”
— Jannel Hernandez, advocate from the Coalition for Family Harmony
The Wellness Faire was an element of the Wellness Week, taking place from Feb. 23 to Feb. 27, featuring activities ranging from kinetic sand to slime-making to sound baths. During the Faire, students had the opportunity to not only learn about the resources available to them, but also enter a raffle using punch cards for free items.
“If [students get] five hole-punches, then they could get a prize from here and also they’d be entered in a raffle for a Patagonia bag, kind of just to encourage them to actually listen and go think about everything,” Cameron Wolpe ‘27, a Wellness Peer working the event said.
To get their cards hole-punched, students had to go up to the agencies’ booths, learning about what each organization does for the community. Many of the tables also featured free items that the students could take, ranging from informational booklets and pamphlets to stickers and fidget toys. Results from the raffle were announced on Feb. 26, with Marilyn Perez ‘29 winning the Patagonia duffel bag.
There were a variety of organizations present, focusing on several aspects of wellness. One of the topics discussed at the Wellness Faire was domestic violence, with the related agencies informing students about the issue and their work.
“[We] support survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and teen dating violence. We also have our LGBTQ+ program that supports the community, if they’re going through any bullying, hate crimes, [or] stalking,” Jannel Hernandez, a rape crisis advocate from the Coalition for Family Harmony, said.
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Oftentimes students don’t know that there are resources available to them, and oftentimes they don’t know who to turn to when they need something.”
— Rebecca Wulff
Many representatives commented on the lack of awareness surrounding health and wellness resources available for teens. According to Ventura County Public Health, 36 percent of 11th grade students in Ventura County reported experiencing depression, however, only 20 percent of those that struggle with depression receive help.
“We had prevention and early intervention, migrant education … and we have Al-Anon as a partner here on site, they actually host a group on site every week on campus, and [we’re] just letting people know that these are resources that we have on site and in our community that can help them and their families,” Rebecca Wulff, a counselor at Foothill Tech and the Wellness Center coordinator, said.
Substance use was another one of the topics highlighted at the event. Erika Fernandez, a representative from Ventura County Behavioral Health’s Substance Use Services Prevention Department, recalled her experiences engaging with teens about the subject.
The Wellness Faire was held within the 5-4-3-2-1 Wellness Week at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech). Activities throughout the week focused on the five senses, touch, hearing, sight, smell and taste, ranging from slime-making sessions to aromatherapy and sound baths. Taking place in the middle of the school day, students had the chance to relax and learn about various aspects of well-being. (Angela Hua)
“When we’ve gone to talk to a lot of the middle school and high school students, we ask questions about certain things and sometimes a lot of them don’t know that maybe the things that they tried or that they hear about in social media are drugs,” Fernandez said.
As the Wellness Faire began wrapping up, students headed to class having gained not only free merchandise, but also knowledge of resources in their community that could one day help them or someone they know in ways both visible and invisible. While struggle can often be silent, having a helping hand or two available can make all the difference.
