Today our guest is Chris Young, Principal at North Country Union High School in Newport, Vermont. We talk with Chris about the innovative Community Development Days at North Country. These events provide students with a dedicated space to discuss and learn about crucial topics such as mental health, wellness, and bullying. Chris shares the journey of implementing these development days, explaining their significance and the positive impact they've had on the community. He also offers valuable tips on how they supported staff during the rollout and reminds us of the incredible potential of our students.

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Chris Young is the principal of North Country Union High School in Newport, Vermont. Chris is in his 5th year as principal there, which is also his alma mater, the school at which both of his parents taught for a combined 50 years, and the school from which both of his children graduated - Falcon Pride runs deep in Chris’ family! Chris began his service at North Country in the Fall of 2019, and just a few months later confronted the challenges of the pandemic and the task of keeping the school community together and healthy through remote and hybrid learning. Chris quickly understood that the pre-existing mental health needs of his students were only exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly those who have been traditionally marginalized. As a result of the growing need for mental health and wellness support, Chris built upon the Wellness Center Model that already existed at North Country, and expanded it into a universal level of support for all students. By elevating the advisory structure to a structured daily time period that specifically addressed mental health and wellness, and creating Community Development Days that provided extended learning time for topics such as suicide prevention, dating violence, and substance abuse prevention, Chris has helped to create spaces at North Country where all students can ask questions, build relationships with trusted peers and adults, and learn together what it means to be a healthy school community.