Between the Bells is a one-week interactive program designed for students in grades 9-12 to spark authentic conversations about mental health and to remind those struggling they are not alone. The program raises awareness and educates students about common mental health challenges, what help and resources exist, and how they can play a key role in challenging the lie that says we can’t talk about these things.
Between the Bells provides participating schools with a program that helps spark conversations on campus and spread a message of hope and help. This program provides teachers and administrators with a week-long guide of unique daily activities and resources to lead the conversations on campus. These daily activities, called Daily Action Steps, can take 10-15 minutes or less to implement during the school day while other suggested activities can be incorporated throughout the entire day to create additional opportunities for school-wide conversation and participation.
This program can be implemented at any time during the school year and in any classroom setting. It can be done school-wide, in select classes, or even just a single classroom. The activities and resources provided can also be modified to meet a school’s needs and schedule.
We believe that educating students about mental health is a key to fighting stigma. Students are not alone in the struggles they are facing and they deserve to know and understand this. Between the Bells allows schools to take a stance, to show that mental health is a priority for them and that they care about the well-being of their students. Despite it being just a week-long curriculum, the program can have a lasting impact on students’ mental health journeys.
This program thrives thanks to the generous support of our dedicated donors and partners. Right now, high schools in the United States are eligible to apply to our Between the Bells program and receive the program at no cost. We know how vital it is to get these conversations into classrooms and our hope is to reach as many high school students as possible. If you are connected to a group or would like to also contribute to keeping this program free of charge, please email highschool@twloha.com.
Participating schools are provided with everything that they will need to implement the program—including access to a digital portal with instructions and information for implementing the program as well as a program kit (customized for your school’s student population size) which features physical materials that coincide with the week’s activities.
We know that when a student’s struggles go unspoken, they will not get the help they need and deserve. It may surprise classmates, teachers, and parents to learn the state of mental health for many students and young people. We want you to know this important information:
Teachers and administrators, we invite you to complete the registration application now to begin building a culture on your campus to talk about mental health issues.
Already registered? Log in here.
If you want to bring Between the Bells to your school’s campus, you will need an administrator or teacher at your school to register and implement the program. We encourage you to print out this program letter and share it with an administrator or teacher at your school. We encourage you to print out this program letter and share it with an administrator or teacher at your school.
If you are looking for resources for students in middle school (6th-8th grade), check out our Middle School Resource Page!
If you have any questions, please email highschool@twloha.com.
We know that you care about your teen’s mental health, too. Maybe you're worried for your child or feel distant from them. And we know that having conversations about mental health with them can feel intimidating. That's why we created A Series of Little Conversations. The hope is to give you a place to get started in creating space and embracing chats about mental health together. Each topic features advice on how you can approach conversations about mental health and a few prompts you can use to start connecting with your teen.