May Partner Spotlight: Erika's Lighthouse

Written by: Anderson Hamm | Division 1 LTG

When 14-year-old Erika Neuckranz died by suicide due to depression, her story became

the heart of Erika’s Lighthouse—a national nonprofit bringing free, student-centered

mental health education to schools.

For the last twenty years, Erika's Lighthouse has been focused on education and

bringing awareness to the mental health of all students, grades 4-12. They do this

through programs organized into four pillars:

1. Classroom education

Evidence-informed lessons teach students about mental health and coping strategies

that are split between grades.

2. Empowerment clubs

Student-led after-school clubs that normalize mental health conversations, reduce

stigma and promote help-seeking.

3. Family engagement

Tools and resources to educate and support families in recognizing and addressing

youth depression.

4. School policy and staff training

Resources and courses to train educators and staff, ensuring mental health support is

integrated throughout the school environment.

As May is Mental Health Awareness Month, there is no better time to shine a light on student mental health and take action with Erika’s Lighthouse to create a brighter, stigma-free future.

How to get involved?

• Start an Empowerment Club. An empowerment club is a student-led mental health club

  that is focused on reducing the stigma, encouraging help-seeking, and supporting peers.

• Become an affiliate key club through your club by using Erika’s Lighthouse

  materials in your service work. You can host discussions or include mental health days

  in your calendar.

• Use Erika’s Lighthouse ‘ready-made” campaigns, like Mental Health Awareness Week, Kindness Challenges, and “Get to Know You” table events. These are easy to implement and ideal for school-wide and community use outreach.

• Distribute Erika’s Lighthouse educational resources through your school and community by inviting teachers and counselors to use their free online courses to

  enhance classroom discussions, and advocate for Erika’s Lighthouse to be incorporated

  into school-wide mental health education.

• Use your clubs' social media platforms and newsletters by sharing the impact Erika’s Lighthouse has had in the community and encourage open conversations.

To get started:

Visit https://erikaslighthouse.org and explore the “Get Involved” section. You can also

contact them directly to get connected with materials or a mentor.

You are not alone. If you’re struggling or know someone who is, talk to a trusted adult like a parent, teacher, school counselor, coach, etc. You can also call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988—available 24/7 for free and confidential support.