Childhood mental health has become a more prominent problem in our society with the rise of social media, as well as lingering effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher rates of kids have been experiencing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. We wanted to create this project because we feel that it is such an important issue in today’s society, and we believe that there are more actions that can be taken to raise awareness as well as find ways to support it. The goal of this project is to show new ways children can cope with their mental health struggles and improve their outlook on life. 

Our goal is to break the stigma that comes with talking about mental health and to create a safe environment where children can express their feelings. We want to show the different ways children can cope with their mental health, and show them that there are safer, healthier ways to deal with mental health. Specifically, we want to focus on the use of dog therapy as an outlet for kids to express their emotions.

On November 24th, we held our dog therapy night event. With the help of Katherine Timmons, Pat Gipps, and Rich Powers, we were able to have the event. Children were able to come to the library and spend time with the therapy dogs, along with board games and coloring sheets. Children in the Holliston community were able to learn more about mental health in their community while also having fun.

By normalizing mental health and starting mental health campaigns the community can help create a loving and safe environment for children.