BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI

North Country This Week

MASSENA — Mental health of students is a major concern across the nation and the student-led Project Raiders is taking steps to offer resources to students.

According to Logan Benoit, a senior who is the student representative to the board of education, the organization is taking steps to focus on school culture.

Benoit told board members a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 44% of students in the U.S. felt “persistently sad or hopeless.”

Part of the efforts Project Raider is putting forth is a new website called “On Demand” that aims to provide resources for students, mentors and others to assist with mental health issues.

Resources on the website include mindfulness resources, emergency hotlines, support groups and clubs, social worker resources and guidance resources.

“The goal of this website is to give students a central spot where they can easily access many mental health resources any time of the day that they need,” he said.

Work on the website is now complete and is just awaiting approval from “all necessary channels,” he said.

Benoit hopes to show the board the new website during the board’s January meeting.

According to Benoit, a committee is also working on revisions to the school’s dress code, with another meeting planned shortly after winter break.

Mental health has been a focal point for the district, with Superintendent Pat Brady saying the district would focus its efforts on assisting students with mental health needs.

Brady said during the summer that the district has listed mental health support in it’s list of goals for the school year.

The district has hired additional counselors to assist students and has introduced social workers into the district.

The district’s Positivity Project has also been a huge hit, having been featured on NBC News just weeks ago.