LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — As hard as it can be for a kid these days, it can be even more challenging to admit to needing help and find the appropriate assistance. Several Frederick Douglass High School students recognized this issue and did something about it.

“Psychological first aid,” Dr. Bryony Rowe said of the intent of this project. Dr. Rowe serves as a school psychologist.

“Meet a person where they are and help them get the help they need,” she continued, explaining the bandana project.

The project originated at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, according to student Chloe Hartlep. She started this program here.

“I thought it was a beautiful thing all the students could come together for,” she said before the school went into a shooter lockdown drill. (That’s another challenging issue kids face today that wasn’t prevalent for previous generations. Readjusting to life following a global pandemic, which caused isolation, is another).

Chloe attached a lime green bandana to her backpack. Soon, other students at FDHS did the same.

“By having a bandana on your bag, we make sure all of our members have taken a pledge to assist anyone that comes to them and gets them the resources they need,” Hartlep explained.

Essentially, suppose a student has some family or mental health-related issue that they don’t feel comfortable sharing with anyone or aren’t sure with whom to share. In that case, the students with the bandanas can point them in the right direction.

“To talk about heavy topics and talk about mental health, and take away some of that stigma,” Hartlep said.

The school’s employee, specializing in such matters, has been overwhelmed watching this project evolve.

“It’s really impressive to me that they care about their fellow students, and they are able to show compassion from a project like this,” Dr. Bryony said. “It’s wonderful to see.”

It’s a very cool thing to see at school at a time when it’s truly needed.