Ponte Vedra High School hosted a wellness fair during lunch on Wednesday, April 11, to offer students information about local wellness-oriented organizations, and to ultimately help them with work-life balance and stress management.
Exhibitors shared giveaways, interactions and resources on an assortment of issues. A variety of presentations occurred during the school day in different classes as well.
Cathy Webb, the chair of the wellness fair and a member of the high school’s PTO, was happy with the event and impressed with the involvement of the student body. In addition to the experts from local businesses, teens put together their own booths and shared information with fellow students.
"The response was fabulous," Webb said. "All our supporters found the kids really engaging and got a very positive interaction. The students that I've talked to have said they really enjoyed it."
According to Webb, Ponte Vedra High School's Assistant Principal Gina Fonseca championed the need for the fair and supported its cause.
Additionally, Webb said the fair was important because being a teenager in 2018 is "uniquely challenging," and young people have a lot of pressure on their shoulders.
"It's a very complicated world that they're maturing into," she said. "There's a lot of stress – especially this time of year – with end-of-year grades and finals and the pressures associated with that."
Webb asserted that if teenagers don't learn to set boundaries, have reasonable expectations and take time to care for themselves, "the whole apple cart is going to come crashing down."
"We went in there with a very strong commitment to presenting positive resources and empowering them with new ideas and new connections of support," Webb said. "But the flipside is if they don't learn these skills, the world is too busy. They're bombarded with all types of social media, all kinds of demands; there's no private times anymore and that's a hard thing for teenagers."
The Therapy Animal Coalition, Big Fish Power Yoga, Revolution Prep, Training for Warriors, Psych Ed Connections, Betty Griffin Center, Lazzara Orthodontics, PACT Prevention Coalition and OCD Jacksonville all participated in the event.
