Students at Greater Lawrence Technical School (GLTS) gathered on Friday, May 23, for the school’s annual Student Mental Health and Wellness Fair, an event dedicated to raising awareness and destigmatizing mental health challenges among youth.
Now in its fourth year, the fair brought together more than 16 local organizations, all focused on promoting wellness and providing mental health resources. Students from all grade levels engaged with representatives from community groups and first responders, learning about a wide range of supports available to them both in and outside of school.
The North Andover Police Department’s comfort dog, Scarlet, was a popular presence at the event. Officers from North Andover and Andover police departments, including GLTS School Resource Officer Eric Milligan and Andover Officer Rachael Mini, were also on hand to speak with students.
Other participating groups included the Merrimack YMCA, Lawrence Family Health, NAMI Greater North Shore, Safe Schools, The NAN Project, and Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, among many others.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 9-8-8 or the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741 anytime. The Town of Andover also has a list of local resources.
The fair is organized annually by the school’s Counseling Department and the Youth Empowerment Committee — a student-led group focused on mental health advocacy. Senior Marcel Lightfoot-Taylor, who has been involved in organizing the event throughout his four years at GLTS, reflected on its impact.
“The wellness fair has been a great effort to bring us together as a community and help us support each other,” said Lightfoot-Taylor. “The word I would use to describe it is: ‘impactful.’”
Superintendent John Lavoie emphasized the importance of the event in helping students feel supported and connected.
“This is one of the most important events we host at GLTS,” said Lavoie. “It is a necessity to bring awareness to the mental health issues that our students may face or already be facing, so they know they are not isolated in their struggles.”
He also thanked the participating organizations for their involvement, calling their contributions “transparent” and “comprehensive” in educating students on critical wellness issues.
The fair aligns with GLTS’s broader mission to not only prepare students for academic and technical success, but also to equip them with the tools they need for emotional and social well-being.