On a Thursday in early September, we gathered at Bethune Middle School in DeKalb County for our first board meeting of the year. While board meetings can sometimes feel like “bored” meetings, this one was destined to be different. It was the day after a high school shooting—a tragedy that had shaken everyone in the community. Unsure of what to expect, school staff greeted us with bright smiles and warm welcomes. The sense of community was reassuring as we gathered in the school library. Many HealthMPowers staff had spent the previous day speaking with students, teachers, and loved ones, comforting each other after another senseless act of violence.
As the meeting began, HealthMPowers K-12 Program Manager, Keyanna Townsend, introduced Sherri Griffith, our HealthMPowers champion at Bethune Middle School. Sherri has been the Girls Empowering Movement (GEM) adult facilitator since 2019 and leads the Student Health Advocate (SHA) program. She emphasized how meaningful it is to give students opportunities to lead positive change. Some of her students joined us in the library and led us on a tour of the school. During our tour, we met Ms. Dorsey, the resident gardening expert. She proudly showed us four previously unused courtyards, now designated as school garden sites. Maintained by the students, these gardens produce vegetables, a pollinator garden, fruit, and even feature an accessible garden for students with limited mobility. To the untrained eye, these spaces may seem undeveloped or unusable, but to Ms. Dorsey, they are classrooms. Students get hands-on learning opportunities to discover where their food comes from, understand the importance of bees in our ecosystem, and experience how every student deserves the chance to dig in the dirt.
After our time with Ms. Dorsey, our tour guides led us to the gym. It was 11:30 a.m., about 30 minutes before lunch, and there was music blasting and kids running everywhere. Fondly known as “open gym,” this concept was something the GEM students had successfully lobbied for from the school’s administration. The girls requested an extra 30 minutes of physical activity during the school day. In the gym, students played basketball with teachers, and there were activity stations like hula-hooping, jump rope, dancing—just kids being kids. What looked like mass chaos was pure fun. The students’ enjoyment was clear from the noise level. When asked if the teachers enjoyed open gym, Ms. Griffith shared that sometimes they enjoy it even more than the kids.
As we walked back to the library, we noticed brightly colored murals with inspirational quotes covering nearly every surface. However, one in particular stopped me in my tracks, and I paused for a picture. It was a giant, brightly colored lightbulb dripping with paint, next to a quote from spiritualist Wallace Huey.
Back in the library, as we continued our board meeting, the conversation naturally turned to the previous day’s tragic events. A long-time public school educator and board member emphasized the importance of HealthMPowers’ work in addressing not only the physical but also the emotional needs of the children we serve. “Our children are hurting because they are not being seen. HealthMPowers helps them to be seen,” she shared. I looked over at one of our Youth Advisory Board chairs, who nodded in agreement. Alvaro Saldarriaga Arcila, a senior from McClure Science High School in Gwinnett, is always eager to share how meaningful his experience with HealthMPowers has been.
Senior, McClure Health Science High School
“Coming from Colombia two years ago, I realized the importance of physical activity; however, I was concerned that my friends and family were not. I also realized that my friends had their own opinions about why this was happening. That led me to HealthMPowers, an awesome resource that gave us the voice we were looking for.”
Leadership, Youth Voice, Physical Activity, and Fun—these are the words repeatedly used by the students who participate in HealthMPowers programs. The positive impact of these programs is clear in the students’ enthusiasm and the transformative experiences they share.
As our meeting ended and the staff reflected on the day, we agreed that our visit to Bethune Middle School was a powerful reminder of the resilience and determination of the community in the face of tragedy. The dedication of Sherri Griffith and her colleagues to fostering healthy habits is commendable and is undoubtedly making a difference in the lives of Bethune Middle School students. But it’s also the vision and commitment of the students, as well as a school administration that listens to youth voices, that are essential.
