District 88 receives 2024 Community Changemaker Award for leadership in providing mental health/social-emotional supports

Pictured are (from left) DuPage County Health Department Community Initiatives Coordinator Jordan Esser, District 88 Director of Community Relations Dani Brink, District 88 Superintendent Dr. Jean Barbanente, DuPage County Health Department Director of Community Initiatives Mila Tsagalis and DuPage Regional Office of Education Regional Superintendent Amber Quirk. On Oct. 24, District 88 was named as the recipient of the 2024 Community Changemaker Award by the DuPage County Health Department and the DuPage County Prevention Leadership Team.

On Oct. 24, District 88 was named as the recipient of the 2024 Community Changemaker Award by the DuPage County Health Department and the DuPage County Prevention Leadership Team (PLT) for leading the way in prevention efforts to protect youth in DuPage County by making positive change in the community. For more information, go to https://www.dupageplt.org/187/Changemaker-Award.

The district was honored for its commitment to expand and enhance mental health and social-emotional services, programs and supports for students and families, as well as staff members. This includes hiring more staff to support this work, implementing programs specific to this area, partnering with outside agencies to have them come on campus and provide services, launching the Postvention Project (which allows students and their families to access up to eight in-person or telehealth counseling sessions) and more. To view the write-up that was shared about the district, see the image below.

At District 88, the safety, health and well-being of students and staff is the No. 1 priority. We know building relationships precedes learning, and we continue to focus on connecting with all students. For more information, go to www.dupage88.net/Supports.

District 88 Superintendent Dr. Jean Barbanente accepted the Community Changemaker Award during the PLT’s 10-year celebration at College of DuPage. That event took place to recognize 10 years of prevention work and to share future plans for substance use prevention and mental wellness throughout DuPage County.