Education Today Education Today Magazine
Jade Sutton has ADHD and struggled at school between the ages of 9-13. She believed her test scores defined her worth which led to anxiety and depression, later developing into regular self-harming and an eating disorder.
After recovering her health and happiness, Jade (now 14) has dedicated herself to fighting the tween & teen mental health crisis. She has reached out to young people by visiting schools, telling her story and inspiring and empowering students to believe in themselves and follow their dreams, whatever they may be.
Jade has now delivered her inspirational assembly presentation at over 60 primary and secondary schools. Her message of hope, resilience, persistence and being brave to follow our dreams has been heard by over 20,000 students to date. Jade has been endorsed by and become an ambassador for Plymouth & District MIND and was shortlisted (top 8 out of 25,000 nominations) for a National Diversity Award as a Positive Role Model for young people.
Jade is now receiving invitations from more schools in the UK then she can possibly visit. The need for schools to support student mental health is so pressing and critical, that she has decided to create BRIGHT PROGRAM.
BRIGHT PROGRAM is a stand-alone resource for schools, that teachers can use to build tween/teen mental health resilience. It contains videos of Jade’s inspirational speeches which destigmatize tween/teen mental health and inspire positivity and self-worth. A workshop guide, quizzes and other resources then support teachers to further explore and develop these themes. Jade’s inspirational story and her ability to connect to young people to develop mental health resilience is now available to all schools in the UK.