With a new year comes new resolutions and plans for the future. And, once the year ends, it can be can be validating and exciting to reflect on the goals we set and how we approached them. 

To welcome 2024, Edison Minds Matter (EMM) at Thomas Edison High School in Alexandria, VA, completed the “What’s in your hope box?” activity.

Students gathered to write out their hopes and goals for the school year. Some hopes focused on academic or professional goals, like getting all A’s or a job at a local restaurant. Others were related to building relationships and spending time doing hobbies or extracurriculars like getting to know classmates better or winning a state championship with their basketball team.

The OMM club leaders are saving all of the notecards in a box, becoming a time capsule. In the spring, students will gather to open the boxes and reflect on how their school year went. The project encourages participants to practice goal setting, visualizing their futures, and maintaining a positive outlook. This activity is also available to all clubs in our high school club portal under “activities and campaigns” :).

Sharing goals and hopes for the future may help students feel more supported in achieving them. “What’s in your hope box?” encourages students to bond with others, emphasizing the importance and value of social connectedness. Students also get to exercise their creativity as a tool for self-expression, coping and self-care.💛

EMM leaders are committed to making mental wellness a collective, school-wide effort. The club previously completed a similar activity called “What’s it like in my shoes.” Students wrote reflections about past hardships and difficult emotions on paper shoes. Such exercises remind students that they are not alone, destigmatizing conversations around mental health struggles. 

We are so excited to see what’s in store for Edison students this spring! Follow EMM on Instagram @ehsomm to see more of their updates. 

A special thank you to the County of Fairfax, The Dominion Guild, the Hollister Confidence Fund, Imagine Learning Foundation, and our network of individual donors for making Our Minds Matter possible in Fairfax County Public Schools.🥳