At Guilderland High School, the Sources of Strength (SOS) program empowers students not only to be kind to others, but also to themselves. Assistant Principal Ann-Marie Holmes, the program’s main advisor, strives to help students build leadership skills through engaged training. This approach consists of both discussions and activities led by GHS faculty members who serve as adult mentors, and certified trainers from outside of GHS.
Originally started in North Dakota, SOS has expanded to numerous schools throughout the nation by focusing on strengths that help students and the community during difficult times. For example, over the years, SOS has offered assistance and support to students and faculty suffering through both grief and loss. “Even in times of struggle, SOS has been there to help guide our students,” Ms. Holmes said.
The program is based on the SOS wheel, which is divided into eight core values: Family Support, Generosity, Healthy Activities, Mental Health, Mentors, Physical Health, Positive Friends and Spirituality. The SOS values work together to benefit wellness, build relationships and strengthen social skills.
To show how these core values can be tools in everyday life, SOS organizes various community outreach events during the school year. For example, in October, SOS hosts their annual Halloween extravaganza, Trick or Treat Street. This event offers the opportunity for the community to socialize through healthy activities, such as trick-or-treating, which eases isolation while benefiting mental health.
Looking back, it is evident SOS has made a positive impact on the well-being of GHS students, especially after the addition of SOS homerooms. Before the school year begins, students can decide if they want to be in an SOS-based homeroom led by adult mentors rather than a standard homeroom. Every month, a different homeroom focuses on a specific core value, and works to promote this value to both students and faculty. In the month of November, Ms. Haas’s homeroom highlighted the importance of having positive friends by making informational videos and conducting activities for other homerooms to take part in. Students from this homeroom shared their perspective on how the program has impacted them.
A twelfth grade student, Lauren, shared how being a part of SOS has made her more helpful. “It’s taught me more ways that I can provide support for my friends and family,” she said. “It’s important to have SOS in our school because it promotes more positivity in our community.”
Another twelfth grade student, Ayoub, shared how the program has helped him with his personal struggles. “I think that by learning how to help others, I was learning how to help myself,” he said. “In SOS, we talk about how student-to-student support is important but also when to reach out to mentors when needed.”
The program is available to any student, either through nomination or general interest; members of SOS are referred to as peer leaders. By starting the year off with a meeting, peer leaders can be reminded of their strengths, and encourage them to reflect on how they can use their strengths and abilities as tools to help others, and also themselves. Recently, peer leaders wrote a card to a staff member who they felt has supported them and given them strength. When the staff members received the cards, they reacted with emotion. Many felt grateful to have made such an impactful difference. These kinds of interactions are the mission of SOS, to build stronger connections within the GHS community.
This article was written by Guilderland High School senior Olivia Niedermeier, as part of an internship with the district’s Communications team.