Sophomore, juniors, and seniors will be required to take a youth mental health course at Clinton High School to start the second semester.

Principal Jerry Wayne announced at the November Board of Education meeting, the high school was chosen to participate in a pilot program that introduces youth to the various ways of dealing with mental and emotional wellness in their peers.

Katy Arnold with the Clinton Academy through Clinton High School is excited to get this going when students return from winter break the first part of January.

This a very rare opportunity for the district. Arnold indicates they are part of a small-percentage nationwide to participate in this pilot program, but they also were chosen to participate in a John Hopkins University study that surveys their students at various points throughout the process.

High School Counselor Rachel Tohme (toe-may) says there are parents meetings to put on the calendar to learn more about this opportunity. The first is this Tuesday night (Dec. 10) and then another Saturday morning (Dec. 14) will be the opportunity to get more information on this.

Wayne credits his staff for being on the lookout for resources and tools that can help their students. He says it is always their top priority to meet the challenges their students face, whether that be mental, physical, or emotional.