2020 brought new challenges to all of us, but our young people were especially affected. Students had to make sense of a global pandemic and social unrest while also keeping up with their school work, typically at home, online, without the benefit of a teacher in a classroom and peers to help them manage it all. Sports and other extra-curriculars were canceled or scaled back, virtual learning had to be adapted to, workloads changed, stress and pressure piled up, the fear of missing out came up, and parents and teachers had their own stressors to cope with.

But adults wouldn’t quite understand the real impact of the pandemic unless they asked.

Now, the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service Research Partners and the Medical College of Wisconsin have released reports stemming from 23 focus groups they held in January and February 2021 with middle and high school students from around Wisconsin so that their experiences can be part of the conversation. They held 23 focus groups with 96 high school students and 64 middle school students.

This year, Drug Take Back Day was held on April 24, when thousands of Wisconsin residents participated in properly disposing drugs and other substances safely. With a collection of 60,632 pounds of unused and unwanted medications being safely disposed, Wisconsin had the second largest Drug Take Back collection in the country. Over 290 law enforcement agencies participated in Drug Take Back Day, when drug disposal boxes were collected across the state. With the assistance from Drug Enforcement Administration and support from other Wisconsin agencies, the collected medications were transported to an out of state facility where they will be incinerated. To read more and find a drug disposal box near you, click here.

For many prevention specialists, Covid has forced many difficult changes that altered the approach to prevention work. The NIATx Change Leader Academy offers free tools you can use to adapt and improve how you deliver prevention services to schools and communities. The academy is a live, Zoom-based training that consists of four weekly sessions with discussions around the current challenges of delivering prevention services as well as tools and ideas to learn. The four session series dates are:

Click here to register.

May is Resilient Wisconsin month! The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is highlighting skills that help individuals recover from difficult times. This month, they are highlighting coloring sheets created by staff that are inspirational and show strength and resilience! The coloring sheets are available for download here, and you can submit your own photo by posting it to social media with the hashtag #ResilientWisconsin.

Looking for something fun to do over the summer? City Champs are offering a range of programs for youth over the summer that include coaching, character-building programs and an 8-week self-defense course that’s FREE to Milwaukee youth. For more information call 262-893-5523 or visit their website here.

Join CADCA and trainer Colber Prosper to discuss the death of George Floyd and how it has sparked discussions, protests and policy changes in communities across the nation. This session will introduce the concepts of collaborative leadership and implicit bias. Join in, Wednesday, May 19 from 12-1:30 p.m. To register for this webinar, click here.

Mental Health America of Wisconsin will host a block party to celebrate and raise awareness about mental health in the community. Enjoy games, raffles and food form local food trucks. The event is free and open to the public! It will be held on Thursday, May 20, from 4-7 pm in the parking lot at 600 W. Virginia St., Milwaukee.

Part of its Real Talk Fridays series, MCSAP is presenting this hour discussion about mental health and self care. Join on Zoom or watch on MCSAP's Facebook page at noon on Friday, May 21. RSVP for the Zoom session at this link. Join on Facebook here.

The Milwaukee LGBT center is partnering with IndependenceFirst to provide guidance and resources for LGBTQ+ people with disabilities who are accessing benefits that include, but are not limited to, Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and more. This session will be addressing issues specific to the LGBTQ+ disability communities, their families and legal guardians. Join via Zoom Tuesday, May 25, at 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Click here to register.

WPHA-WALHDAB 2021 Public Health conference is for students, new professionals, emerging leaders, or long-time practitioner, researchers or trail blazers in public health. With this year’s theme of Striving for Justice Through Systems Change, there will be a number of opportunities for collaboration across the disciplines, geography, and political spectrum of public health.

To register, click here.

Join drug recognition expert Nick Place to learn more about current drug trends and to get informed, educated and advocate for a more positive community environment. The training, sponsored by the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth, will take place on Thursday, May 27, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. via Zoom. To attend, you must register here. Once registered, a link to the event will be sent.

Parkinson’s Moving Day is dedicated to shine a light on fighting Parkinson’s disease and celebrating movement, proven to help manage Parkinson’s symptoms. You can take part on a team, as a sponsor or volunteer to beat Parkinson’s disease. Join Moving Day on Saturday, May 22, at 9 a.m. at 7300 W. Chestnut St., Wauwatosa. Volunteers are also needed for this event. If you are interested, contact Eric at efragoules@parkinson.org.

Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation in partnership with the City of Milwaukee and Hephatha Lutheran Church will be launching a community garden on 19th & Chambers. The community garden will be a place to grow your own fresh veggies, save money, eat healthier, and make new friends. There will be 12 raised beds available, free plants, and seeds to get started. To reserve a garden bed, call Joyce at

414-933-6157.

The Office of Children’s Mental Health published a new fact sheet called "Strengthening Social Connections and Relationships." This fact sheet details what communities, schools, parents and policymakers can do to make a difference in the mental health of children. It highlights symptoms of emotional distress, relationships with adults and social networking, to name a few. To see the complete fact sheet, click here.

This month, Mental Health America is sharing several resources that offer guidance and tips in caring and acknowledging your mental health. Mental Health America uses “Radical Acceptance” to help others fully accept the reality of their situations that are beyond their control. By using Radical Acceptance, Mental Health America also offers Tips for Success that may help those recognize, accept and cope with their mental health. Click here to read more.