TREEHOUSE

Treehouse Youth Outreach: Ending hopelessness among teens

BY MIKAYLIE SOSNOWSKI

TreeHouse Youth Outreach is a Minnesotan program that aims to show teens that they are capable of being loved with “no strings attached.” By giving teens structure in their daily life, a safe space to speak openly and access to helpful, dependable counselors, the founder hopes to help teens find their place in the world and learn to use their resources to help them succeed in life.

The original TreeHouse was founded in 1979 in Robbinsdale, Minn., by a middle school teacher who saw his students struggling. Since then, over 30 new locations have sprung up around the metro area, including in Eden Prairie in January of 2019.

TreeHouse offers three programs: weekly small group meetings led by staff, support groups for specific challenges and one-onone mentoring.

For sophomore Zania Gray, the support groups have really helped her open up. “Before going to TreeHouse, I didn’t really used to talk and be out there,” she said. “I guess I just learned that people are there for you and you can talk to anybody. Counselors, mom, dad, anyone.”

TreeHouse Youth Outreach has had an incredibly positive impact on Minnesotan teens. According to Andy Swanda, the director of outreach at the Eagan location, “98 percent of teens who have entered TreeHouse with problems such as thoughts of suicide, a history of self-harm and substance abuse have experienced a decrease in at-risk behavior after connecting with a program mentor.”

The Eden Prairie group meets weekly on Tuesdays from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Wooddale Church, with transportation and dinner provided. Although it is a Christian-based program, TreeHouse accepts everyone regardless of religious affiliation or identity.

“I know some people need support out there,” said Zania. “So I think that it will be fun because they provide food and then they do support group and free activities, so that’s cool.”

If you’d like more information about TreeHouse, visit their website at: https://treehousehope.org/ or contact the EP location at (952) 500-9723.

GRAPHIC BY MIKAYLIE SOSNOWSKI

Left to right: Baylee Brabender, Abby Horn, Jaycey Horton

Students on board to cross the world Left to right: Baylee Brabender, Abby Horn, Jaycey Horton

PHOTO AND STORY BY SRIHITA RAJU

While most students at the end of summer dread going back to school, senior Abby Horn, along with three other Eden Prairie students, will be packing a suitcase and setting off halfway across the globe. Horn will be going to Denmark as a part of the Rotary Youth Exchange.

The Rotary Youth Exchange is a student exchange program Rotary International conducts where students ages 15-19 are sponsored by their local Rotary Club to be a part of an equal student exchange. The Rotary Club is an international organization with local clubs in over 200 countries around the world. The Rotary believes in putting service above self and strives to instill this idea in Rotary members as well as students participating in the exchange.

Other students from Eden Prairie Participating in the exchange will be Baylee Brabender, Adrien Augustyn, and Tori Larson. Additionally, students Jaycay Horton, Malorie Dekam, and Luc Willett will be participating in a short term exchange. This type of exchange will take place over the course of about two months wear the student will go live with another family in another country, and then the family comes back with them to live here.

Horn will be studying and living with a host family while exploring all Denmark has to offer. Horn has always wanted to travel to Europe, and since Denmark is one of the happiest places in the world, she’s excited to learn about their lifestyle.

Horn first heard of this program at a career fair. At the fair, she spoke with a Rotarian who told her all about the program. Horn had always wanted to travel and learn about another culture, so she knew this was the opportunity for her. “I had to do it,” said Horn. “I’d be upset if I let this pass me by.”

Although the exchange isn’t for another few months, students undergo lots of preparation to be sure they have a safe and valuable exchange. Horn has been taking language classes and attending orientations where students listen to presentations about things like culture shock, and parents learn how to deal with not seeing their child for an entire year.

To get involved in the program, students had to fill out an application on the Rotary International website, which included some questions and a short essay about why they would be good candidates for the exchange. Then, a parent writes an essay about why they believe their child should be a part of the exchange. Students then had interviews with Rotarians. Once admitted, students got to meet others going on the exchange and rank the top five countries they would want to go to on the exchange.

For any students considering the exchange, Horn recommends learning more about it and reminding themselves that there is no way for anyone to have a negative experience. “It’s a year you’ll never get back. Anyone who is interested in learning and seeing the world should do it.”

BY MANEEYA LEUNG

The murals of EPHS date back far and young. Each one allows students to create and leave behind their own message to the school, and the newest one is being created this year by Art Club.

Art Club advisor Courtney Berndt knew that Art Club had wanted to do a mural for a while and talked about it with the Administration. Eventually, the staff from health department told her they wanted to collaborate. From there, they chose a location for the painting that was right outside the health room 167.

They also found a Dr. Seuss quote they liked, which states, “be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” To Berndt, it promotes welcoming students as a whole: “It supports this idea that students can be themselves no matter their identity, no matter their sexual preference, and no matter their ability level.” The health department asked Berndt to show the quote to Art Club. They wanted to see if the students could combine their own original imagery with the quote for the mural.

Sophomore Lucy Jiang is one of the students who took up the task of creating a design and completing the process. She first heard about the mural project when Art Club started in the beginning of the year and thought it sounded fun. “You get to paint on walls, and you don’t get in trouble for that,” said Jiang.

When she started her drawing, Jiang intended the design to be peaceful looking. She began with flowers. “Then I was like, you know what’s really cool? Mice,” she said. Jiang remembers drawing what felt right at the moment. The rest of the process included redrawing the design to clean it up. Then, Jiang along with other Art Club members used a projector and cast it on the wall. They drew over the projected lines with sharpie and started painting.

Jiang didn’t have much trouble coming up with the design. She did have trouble redrawing the flowers and choosing colors, but her biggest struggle is finding time to complete it. She guesses the mural will be finished around the end of this February. Jiang hopes that other students will see it as a nice addition to the hallway, and that the quote possibly helps them through hard times.

Berndt shares common goals for what the mural might inspire towards students who pass by: “I hope they just take a second to think about how important it is to show up as their true self every day.”

Lucy Jiang with the uncompleted mural taken January PHOTO BY MANEEYA LEUNG

FEATURE Questions for a counselor

BY DANIELLE JOHNSON indy Doth, our school’s Youth School Outreach Manager, is a resource for students with any substance abuse concerns. Doth is going to begin answering questions for our magazine from students. Students are able to submit any questions they may have about drug and alcohol abuse or mental health to The Eyrie anonymously, and Doth will be giving her answers. Doth works with Hazelden Betty Ford Plymouth, an addiction treatment and advocacy organization. She has recently completed her second Master’s Degree and is about to complete her last few hours of supervision to become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She has been working with EPHS since this fall. Doth is located in an office right next to the South Commons Collab, under the registration office sign. On Mondays during school hours she is here as a resource for students struggling with chemical health concerns. Outside of her work at EPHS, she does many different things. “When I am not at EPHS I am at other schools or working at Hazelden Betty Ford Plymouth,” she said. “I am responsible for supporting parents that are interested in having a student getting an assessment for their substance use or mental health concerns. I also train school staff and community members about substance use and mental health concerns, develop professional presentations regarding mental health complications with substance use and train Hazelden Betty Ford Plymouth staff on non violent crisis intervention skills.” C

Q: Can I get in trouble for sharing things with you?

A: “NO! I am bound by confidentiality. I cannot disclose the content of what we talk about unless they give me permission to tell specific people. Even if you give me permission to talk to someone (parent, dean, AP, counselor, etc.) I choose not to tell. I think it is important to have a safe place for students to openly talk about why they use, what they get out of it, the consequences of their use, and their fears of stopping without judgement, or the belief that I will go and tell on them.”

Q: What is the difference between coming to see you versus a school counselor? A: “I think I have a unique perspective on substance abuse that school counselors may not have. We also have the chance to talk about things in private. Kids as young as 12 years old can come and get services without parental consent.”

Contact information:

Anyone interested in getting in contact with Doth can contact her at cdoth@hazeldenbettyford.org or 763-509-3953. For anyone intrested in submitting questions to the Eyrie, send to Doth directly or to the Eyrie at theeyrie.ep@gmail.com. Questions will be printed anonymously.

In an appointment with Doth, the meetings are designed as a screening for chemical health concerns only. With state standards she cannot do anything considered treatment within the school. In an email, Doth summed up the work she does here: “During a meeting with a student we start by reviewing the purpose of the meeting (screening for chemical health concerns). This also includes discussing the student’s ability to stop the meeting at any point, as it is voluntary. We discuss their privacy rights and limits as I am a mandated reporter (I must report any concerns related to child abuse or neglect to the appropriate reporting agencies, and must also take action if there are safety risks present (intent to harm self or others).”

The meetings are designed as a screening for chemical health concerns only. It is not treatment, therapy, or any form of an assessment and I cannot disclose the results of the screening without written consent from the student.” She thinks it is extremely important for students to have a safe place to discuss their substance use and reasons for it without judgement or fear.

Students are able to meet with her by reaching out to their counselors or APs, and there does not have to be any substance violation to meet with her. She is available to anyone who has any concern regarding substance use. A meeting is usually put in place, though, when a student has a substance use violation on school property or has had encounters with law enforcement that has resulted in being ticketed. Related to statue 691 local law enforcement is required to notify school districts when students have had substance use violation, and the school is required to have a substance use screening process to get the services needed for them. If someone is concerned about a peer, they can contact their dean who can then help make a referral.

Students of different backgrounds come in to see Doth. “I have seen students that have good attendance and poor attendance, ones that are involved in sports and ones that have no extracurricular activities, some students have experienced homelessness, and some students have supportive parents,” she said. “ Some of the students have made one poor choice to use substances at school and some have struggled multiple times.” The most prevalent substances she sees students for are marijuana and alcohol. Youth Outreach Manager, Cindy Doth PHOTO BY SYDNEY LEWIS

Things to do on your Valentine’s Day off

STORY AND PHOTOS BY GRACE PETERSON

ou can take the typical path of staying at home and buying flowers, cards, chocolates, jewelry, or romantic gifts for Valentine’s Day. Or you might want to try something different and learn a new skill with your friends or partner. There are plenty of options for enjoying this February four day weekend.

What to do:

-Eat breakfast in bed -Create crafts -Romantic Movie Marathon -Make heart-shaped foods -Go out to dinner -Go to the movies or movie night -Exchange thoughtful gifts to a significant other -Recreate your first date -Ice skating -Eat candy -Cooking class -Hang out with friends (galentine) -Baking

Where to go:

Cooking:

-Instead of taking your date out to dinner, you can learn how to cook a romantic meal or take a class with your partner. -Kitchen Window and Whole Foods in Uptown Minneapolis offer Valentine’s themed cooking classes, some for adults and others for kids.

Arts:

-Others might enjoy a two-hour Valentine’s Day Paint Nite which takes place each year at the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel: The Depot. -For a free, fun, and arts-filled day with your sweetie, head to the Valentine’s Arctic Market at Lakes & Legends in downtown Minneapolis. This event will have about 30 local makers selling woodwork, home goods, jewelry, apparel, and other items you can give your sweetheart as a gift.

Outdoors:

-One of the Twin Cities’ outdoor ice rinks at Lake of the Isles Park where you can soak up the natural beauty and enjoy the walking and biking paths. -Another outdoor ice rink is Centennial Lakes Park in Edina. This is a great place to enjoy the ourdoors in a fun envirnoment.