May is Mental Health Awareness Month and May 9 is proclaimed as Mental Health Day for Children, Youth and Their Families by Governor Whitmer. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), this year’s theme, ‘Stigma Grows in Silence. “Healing Begins in Community,” ensures no one struggles alone. The NAMI website also promotes, “Your Story Can Spark Healing.”
These themes are powerful reminders of why the I Feel… series from WKAR Public Media is needed as part of children’s educational resources. Launched in May of 2025, the series of video shorts and supplemental materials were produced to help children and their families grow together as they manage mental health wellness and develop social-emotional skills. Later this month, WKAR presents a second season of the series, I Feel Talks…, which will debut at the upcoming event, “Youth and Mental Health Wellness: A Community Conversation,” May 14 at 6:30 p.m. at WKAR on the campus of Michigan State University.
Research shows that mental health and wellness begin at birth. This is why the first season of I Feel… features young children who identify, express, and manage their emotions by sharing a specific feeling and how that feeling presents in their bodies. Afterwards, various youth development professionals provide strategies to manage the feelings discussed in each video. Feelings should not carry negative or positive labeling. However, the way in which we manage those feelings can result in a positive or negative outcome. Therefore, the experts provide suggestions like speaking with a trusted adult and taking deep balloon breaths as helpful approaches to manage their feelings.
In the second season, I Feel Talks… highlights more supports by having youth talk with one another about everyday moments and how they affect their emotions. Then, a community expert provides strategies to help manage their experiences. I Feel Talks... focuses on the shared story because stories can spark healing. This aligns to NAMI’s Mental Health Awareness campaign, “every story shared turns silence into connection, and connection into healing.”
Children should have an opportunity to talk about anything important to them in a judgement-free environment. In I Feel Talks… children discuss topics that include their dreams, new adventures, bullying, tough times, teamwork, and community sadness, to name a few. The simple act of sharing their feelings is a powerful strategy toward supporting mental health wellness, and communication is vital to social-emotional growth and development. A listening ear, an empathetic nod, and a high five for sharing is sometimes all that is needed for a child to feel seen and heard.
As a career long educator, I have first-hand knowledge of the need to allow children to share their stories. This is especially important for children whose lived experiences include the experiences their families and parents are facing. These can include celebrations like graduation and a new siblings or adversities such as homelessness, sickness, unemployment, and grief. Often children carry these circumstances in the mind and body without support to help manage.
My hope is that I Feel Talks will guarantee every child is free to share their story and is supported with all the resources needed for a whole and healthy life. For more information, check out wkar.org/i-feel.
