Florida Becomes Latest State To Pass Mental Health Legislation Benefiting Students

The Florida Board of Education recently announced that public schools in the state will be required to provide students with mental health education. The directive, which will require at least five hours of education annually, will educate students about important mental health awareness and resources.

 

“We know that 50 percent of all mental illness cases begin by age 14,” said Florida first lady Casey DeSantis. “So we are being proactive in our commitment to provide our kids with the necessary tools to see them through their successes and challenges.”

 

Florida isn’t the only state to make news around mental health lately, as Oregon recently announced -- thanks to the activism of four teens -- that students will be able to count mental health days as sick days.

 

Take Action: Fight the negative impact of bullying on mental health by sharing positive affirmations around your school.

Movie Villian To Real-Life Hero: Actor Danny Trejo Rescues Child From Car Wreck

Famed TV and movie actor Danny Trejo can do more than play badass villains. Last week, he proved to be a true hero when he saved a baby boy from an overturned car.

 

“He was panicked. I said OK, we have to use our superpowers. So he screamed ‘superpowers’ and we started yelling ‘superpowers.’ I said ‘do this, with the muscles. He said ‘muscles.’ We got kind of a bond. I kept facing him away from the accident,” said the 75-year-old Trejo. My takeaway? Next time we watch one of Trejo’s movies, we all have permission to root for the villian.

People Are Getting Super Creative to Fight Climate Change Right Now

At this point, we’re all well aware of the looming implications of the climate crisis. While we have a lot of work to do to save the earth, let’s take some time to find inspiration in the incredible work being done by people in different industries, backgrounds, and countries.

 

In Mexico, cacti are being tested to create a biodegradable plastic that could solve one of the world’s biggest pollution problems. Across the pond in Sweden, a new bicycle was made out of 300 recycled Nespresso pods(!), further demonstrating the value of recycling.

 

Back in the US, the San Francisco International Airport recently announced a ban on the sale of plastic water bottles. The ban is part of a larger plan to eliminate most landfill waste by 2021. Meanwhile, young activists across the country are already making a noticeable impact on the 2020 elections.

 

Take Action: Sign a petition to demand 2020 presidential candidates participate in a climate debate.

 

• Why aren’t more people talking about… this El Paso artist’s powerful tribute in the wake of tragedy?

 

• Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo… scientists have taken one step closer to developing an Ebola cure.

 

• My hero today is… Jessica McClard, who created “public pantries” to help those struggling with food insecurity. Since coming up with the idea, over 650 pantries have popped up around the world!

 

• Today in good puppy news… this man went to a shelter and adopted all the cute elderly puppies that nobody wanted. (I’m not crying, you’re crying.)

 

• I love puppies so, so much… because look at this service dog visiting Disney World and meeting the princesses!!! (Seriously, there’s just something in my eye…)

 

• I’m obsessed with… the best boy band since One Direction, aka Brockhampton. They just dropped a few new singles and have a new album coming out next week that I can’t wait for.

Now it’s your turn to share some good news! We want to celebrate you, so submit some personal good news and we’ll highlight a few stories in next Tuesday’s Breakdown!

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