Teen Summit at Birmingham High School With Focus on Mental Health and Internet Safety

By Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson The Birmingham Times Bright colors, smiling faces and dance music with the latest hits on blast set the tone for a Community Teen Summit hosted Saturday at Ramsay High School, an event that focused on mental health and internet safety. The day identified issues that can be sources for struggles and challenges with teens and ways to address those as a community, said Makella Moore Harris, Assistant Principal at McAdory Elementary School, and the founder of the Fine Arts Find Life (FAFL) organization that sponsored this event. More than 25 organizations were on hand to support the summit either as vendors, selling their goods and services, or agencies providing informational resources for students. The timing of the summit was key, said Harris. “Going into the holidays, we want to spread awareness and make sure teens know when they’re online, that they’re mindful of the things they are posting (on social media) or the things they are texting their friends,” she said. Harris said her group uses “data from a survey conducted with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) back in 2021 to drive the focus of our community teen summits.” The focus is two-fold, she...