Contributed photo
PrairieCare Fund’s Marketing and Outreach Manager Michael Moody, second from left, presents Prairie Wind Middle School Principal James Kennedy, left, Prairie Wind Middle School’s Jenny Lindstrom, second from right, and Heart of the Lakes Elementary School’s Brooklynn Thompson, far right, with a check for $8,160 to be used to  support Social and Emotional Learning curriculum.

The mental health teams from Prairie Wind Middle School and Heart of the Lakes Elementary School were presented with an $8,160 check from the PrairieCare Fund.

PrairieCare is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of local communities. The organization focuses on providing essential funding for youth mental health resources in Minnesota Schools and nonprofit organizations.

Last school year, the mental health team submitted a grant application and were awarded the grant from PrairieCare to support a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum in both the middle and elementary schools. These funds were used to purchase a SEL curriculum called Wayfinder, a researched-backed program that goes beyond the typical SEL competencies to incorporate meaning-making, critical thinking, and future-ready skills, helping connect classroom learning to the real world.

With this curriculum, Perham’s mental health team in collaboration with classroom teachers, has dedicated time to addressing key areas: self-awareness, responsible decision-making, social awareness, self-management and relationship skills.