Counseling and Student Support / Sources of Strength

Sources of Strength

at Lakeside Middle School

2024-2025 will be our 6th year implementing Sources of Strength at Lakeside!

Sources of Strength is a group of nominated Peer Leaders and Adult Advisors across grade levels whose goal is to positively influence peer social norms about help to seek and encourage students to individually assess and develop strengths in their life. This group of Peer Leaders mentored by Adult Advisors lead school-wide campaigns (e.g. Thankfulness Challenge, What Helps Me, Trusted Adults, You Belong, etc.) to help students identify and build their sources of strength.

The “Wheel of Strength” (pictured below) is at the core of Sources messaging includes eight protective factors which are family support, positive friends, mentors, healthy activities, generosity, spirituality, medical access, and mental health. The Sources of Strength’s preventative approach is peer led and focuses on spreading the message of “Hope, Help, and Strength” through student populations, schools, and community. Sources of Strength aims to build resiliency, increase connections between peer/peer and peer/adult, normalize help-seeking and develop healthy coping skills.

2024-2025 Peer Leader & Adult Advisor Meetings:

Peer Leaders will meet twice a month during FlexTime starting in August. Peer Leader meetings will be by grade level to start for the year.

Meeting locations will rotate among Adult Advisors and will be listed on the FlexTime Manager app on the weeks of meeting dates.

6th Grade Peer Leaders will be nominated by teachers and participate in a training session in September and then start to meet twice a month.

2024-2025 Adult Advisors:

6th Grade: Bayer, Ferrer, Jodie Hall, Meyer, Morton, Sizemore, Slappy, Wilder

7th Grade: Collins, Densmore, V.Kistler, Lloyd, Pennell, Pestorius, T.Ramsbottom, Ryan, Conger, S.Spera, Steiger, M.Stephen, K.Stephens, Young

8th Grade: Burnell, Chunn, D'Arcangelo, N.Kistler, O'Malley, M.Muliero, Spencer, K.Wilson, Woddail, S.Woods

School Coordinator: Lipscomb

You can more about Sources of Strength HERE