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Student Wellness Conference
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Stanislaus County Office of Education’s Prevention Programs Department will host the annual “Friend to Friend” Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the Modesto Centre Plaza, 1000 L St., from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

With a theme of “Rhythms and Resilience,” this year’s conference will focus on student mental health and wellness through music and the arts. According to event coordinators, this conference will emphasize the importance of healthy relationships and outlets for coping with stress, and creating a stigma-free school campus that is supportive of all students. The conference is expected to attract more than 600 middle- and high school students from across the Central Valley.

“This event offers a fantastic opportunity for students to learn more about wellness and become better equipped to be leaders in their schools,” said Vicki Bauman, Prevention Programs Director at SCOE. “We are thrilled to host this event for students in our region.”

Students will hear from speakers who have learned to healthfully cope with mental health challenges, and attend breakout sessions on topics such as healthy relationships, safe use of social media, and mental health advocacy. Students will also be able to participate in hands-on, practice-based sessions such as mindfulness and art for wellness. Mental health professional and hip hop artist Travis Lloyd will share the challenges he faced growing up in foster care and being institutionalized. His message is geared to empowering students with the message that they too can overcome their own challenges and create a supportive school climate for their peers. Lloyd will deliver the keynote address from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.