The Edina Education Fund (Ed Fund) recently laid out its agenda for the school year, focusing on literacy development, STEM support, and student mental health. Ed Fund’s stated goal is to secure incremental funding for district-wide programs and services that strengthen academic learning and support the whole person on their educational journey.
Accordingly, Ed Fund plans to offer new student resources for additional academic and emotional support. These resources include but are not limited to registered therapists, mental health weeks and FLEX sessions, and a middle school tutor center.
The extensive nature of mental health prompted much of Ed Fund’s planning. “I personally believe mental health applies to everything that you’re doing in [school],” Ed Fund Executive Director Kathy Rendleman said. As one of the seven Edina High School Student Board members, senior Bergen Pickett agreed, noting the “big” impact of mental health on students’ academic and social lives.
Although students on the Ed Fund Student Board cannot vote on how the nonprofit chooses to ration out the money, they can attend meetings and speak on behalf of the student body. Rendleman recalled a situation where the Ed Fund was on the fence about supporting a student wellness event, considering the impact of high school representatives. “We had a high schooler say, ‘If you had taught me to breathe [to relax] when I was in second grade, maybe I wouldn’t need a therapist my senior year,’ and the [Ed Fund Board] just sat there and then they approved the grant,” Rendleman said. “[They] might not have a vote… but [they] just changed every single vote in the room.”
Pickett was happy to note that she believes mental health has gained increased attention in the Edina community over the years. “Every year [student mental health] just gets more important as more people are affected by [mental health issues] and more people talk about [them],” she said. Rendleman was also optimistic about the heightened availability of mental health resources in the Edina community, noting her generation tended to neglect it. “I think [Edina students] are doing a great job at [prioritizing] mental health and educating our generation, even my generation, at recognizing that we’re not all perfect,” she said.
Rendleman noted that the Ed Fund will focus on planning the “CAKE (Community Action for Kids Education) Off,” and its middle school tutoring program now that their Band Together fundraiser has passed. “We’re planning on taking high schoolers over to Valley View [Middle School], putting them into classrooms and having them help in language arts classrooms to working one on one with students,” she said, emphasizing that students should keep an eye out for these upcoming events.
Senior and Ed Fund Student Board member Olivia Smith is excited by the new programs coming to Edina. She noted that the student body recognizes and appreciates the steps the Ed Fund is taking. “I’m really grateful – it’s nice to know that like these resources are available for me and other students for free,” she said.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on September 26, 2024
