In Arkansas and across the country, student mental health has been the focus of increased attention on campuses.

A recent report from the College Futures Foundation noted colleges and universities are directly affecting how their students feel and fare.

Buster Lackey, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Arkansas, said 2022 research showed 60% of college students experienced some type of mental health challenge. He added some schools are not doing enough to address the challenges, and as a result, some students are leaving without graduating.

"Between the 18- and 25-year-olds, they drop out of college because they're having a mental health problem, and they don't know what they're having, because we don't talk about it," Lackey observed. "What you've got is, you've got students dropping out, that are not being treated for their mental health problem. So now, what we've got is a high dropout rate or a nondegree completion rate."

Lackey pointed out his organization's "NAMI on Campus" program helps to tackle mental health issues and improve life for students. He noted one facet of the problem is a shortage of available licensed professional counselors and social workers, on and off campus.

Breeanne Carter, assistant director for marketing and communications for the Pat Walker Health Center at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, said their campuses offer students multiple resources and services to address mental health challenges. They include, but are not limited to, anxiety, depression and stress-related disorders.

"Pat Walker Health Centers Counseling and Psychological Services, also known as CAPS, offers critical mental health services, such as short-term individual counseling, group counseling, workshops, psychiatry services, [and] 24-hour mental health emergency services," Carter stated.

Carter added it is important for professors to recognize the warning signs of mental health challenges, so they can provide timely support and connect students with the appropriate resources. She listed a few of the signs:

"Essentially changes in sleeping patterns or consistently feeling tired. Possibility of, you know, difficulty in thinking clearly, concentrating or making decisions," Carter outlined. "If a student is engaging in impulsive, self-destructive or risky behavior; maybe if they are struggling to attend classes."

They also have a comfort space, called the Lane Marrs Relaxation Room, dedicated by the parents of a freshman who took her own life in 2016. The room was created in 2018 as a resource for students and the University of Arkansas community.


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A Tennessee education advocacy group is voicing concerns about Project 2025, which aims to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and transfer control of education funding to states.

In Tennessee, more than 1 million students are enrolled in more than 1,800 schools in 141 school districts.

Alexa Barajas Clark, interim executive director of the Education Trust-Tennessee, explained the Tennessee Legislature last year formed a study group to explore the effects of rejecting federal funding. She added undermining the federal government's role or rejecting funding altogether could have significant consequences.

"Tennessee could not ensure that all students, especially those from rural communities, students with disabilities, students from low-income backgrounds, they could not guarantee that they would continue to receive the funding and the necessary support and interventions and the services that they would need to receive an equitable education," Barajas Clark outlined.

She pointed out dismantling the department would need congressional approval. In the meantime, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee supports President-elect Trump's plan to shut down the department. Lee believes Tennessee is best equipped to decide how to spend education dollars and welcomes redirecting federal education funds to the state's public schools.

Barajas Clark stressed the need for education policies to prioritize individual students. She noted while progress has been made in addressing pandemic-related learning loss, dismantling efforts would undo gains, and further restrictions are unnecessary.

"States, especially in Tennessee, are already and have already been doing a lot of what's being proposed without the need to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education," Barajas Clark contended. "There's a voucher bill, there's monitoring of curriculum and controlling what's being taught in the classroom. All of that is being done at the state level."

Barajas Clark pointed out the Education Freedom Act of 2025 was filed the day after the election, to propose an expansion to a voucher program in Tennessee. Public schools in Tennessee serve nine of 10 students.


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American Education Week is underway, and Nebraskans are asked to find trust again in public school systems, including rural areas.

There have been some improvements but national polling shows a majority of Americans are still dissatisfied with K-12 education. A Gallup survey last year showed a peak level of 63%. It is down to 55 percent this year, but advocates said it is clear they need more public support.

Jack Moles, executive director of the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association, feels teachers remain dedicated even though the classroom environment is different from when he was teaching.

"It was a tough job then, it's much tougher today," Moles observed. "People are still going into it."

Moles emphasized dedication is apparent as students increasingly demonstrate social and emotional needs following the pandemic. He acknowledged teacher staffing shortages are still an issue but noted communities are getting creative with solutions centering around housing and other recruitment tools. Moles encouraged more of these efforts as a way to show support.

Moles stressed it is not just about higher salaries and other amenities. He thinks the "politicization of education" has fueled negative feelings about teachers and he called on elected leaders at the state and federal levels to help change the narrative.

"We see more and more things where educators are demonized," Moles observed. "I hate seeing that. We didn't use to have that. "

As for community members showing appreciation, Moles added a powerful approach is a parent sharing success stories about their child with a former teacher. He suggested it can be a very effective way of illustrating how impactful an educator was in connecting with a student.


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Maine educators are expanding outdoor learning opportunities to help build the next generation of environmental stewards.

The state has unveiled a new learning pavilion on Mackworth Island, where students can engage in hands-on outdoor lessons and study environmental careers.

Page Nichols, chief of the Office of Innovation for the Maine Department of Education, said students and teachers love it.

"We have such an incredible natural resource here in Maine that we feel it's important to use it," Nichols explained. "We get that feedback from educators who are providing it, feeling like this is really, really meaningful."

Nichols pointed out the state's Outdoor Learning Initiative has already connected more than 14,000 students to nature-based programs, from hiking the Appalachian Trail to studying ocean ecology. Research shows students often focus better when learning outdoors, while teachers report better student behavior and social interactions.

State officials said the goal is to ensure all Maine students have access to outdoor learning to improve their physical and mental health and help counter any pandemic-related learning loss. Data show a majority of eighth graders in the state are not proficient in math, while more than 70% of fourth graders are not proficient in reading.

Nichols emphasized outdoor learning is exciting for students and helps them better connect with their peers and environment.

"We believe that getting students outdoors and engaged with nature is innately empathy-building around the importance of protecting the environment," Nichols stressed. "That is a central focus of it."

Nichols noted educators are expanding the state's Environmental Literacy Plan to include more lessons on the growing effects of climate change. She added the state has already invested more than $11 million in the Outdoor Learning Initiative to expand opportunities for students in grades K-12.


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