The Kids Under Twenty-One Club focuses on creating a comfortable environment surrounding mental health at Burroughs.

The Kids Under Twenty-One club (KUTO) aims to aid and ease the navigation of kids and young adults under twenty-one through the world of middle/high school as well as the stress and mental obstacles that may be encountered along the way. Mrs. Kilbride is the club’s faculty sponsor and this year’s leadership team consists of two senior leaders, Ava Kennard and Eleanor Hohenberg, in addition to three junior leaders, Ellie Strahorn, Liam Taylor, and Evan Harris. Anyone can be impacted by stress and mental obstacles throughout life, so KUTO empasizes the importance of having conversations about these topics early in one’s lifetime. KUTO exercises these values by facilitating conversations about mental health issues that are commonly found in middle and high schoolers. Each meeting typically focuses on a specific topic. For example, our meeting about stress will be dedicated to discussing signs of unhealthy amounts of stress, how stress manifests itself in the JBS community, and some ideas on how to best deal with it. We strive to make our meetings a safe space for these conversations, and anyone is always welcome to attend. KUTO’s hope is that these meetings will help to normalize discussions of these topics while serving as an outlet for those who are

struggling or just want to educate themselves.

In addition to conversational meetings, KUTO also organizes Relaxation Days which are typically scheduled before the highschoolers’ final exam week. Especially at a school as academically rigorous as Burroughs, many students feel as though they are under immense pressure to succeed in their classes while also pursuing their extracurricular interests. Although JBS teachers often recognize this and do what they can to help, KUTO furthers their efforts by aiding students outside of the classroom. Relaxation Days are one of the ways we try to give the community an opportunity to wind down and enjoy themselves during a week that is particularly stressful.

In an effort to adapt to the unusual amount of stress, anxiety, and mental health issues this year has brought for many people, Mrs. Kilbride and the KUTO leaders have decided to shift focus towards providing more creative and uplifting outlets. This means that we have concentrated on coordinating Relaxation Days as well as diverting the focus of our meetings; instead of focusing on the usual heavier topics, we’ve been having an open conversation about everyone’s lives, worries, and feelings about everything going on. KUTO still plans on organizing some events to discuss the usual specific topics later this year, but thought it would be helpful to begin the first semester by highlighting positivity and relaxation. For those interested in joining in on conversations about these topics, reach out to our club leaders or Mrs. Kilbride in order to attend!