Hi, my name is Sonia and I am an AWBW intern and student in 10th grade. I designed a lesson for my entire campus sharing touchstones as a gentle resource for reflection, expression, and healing; a way for students to learn and grow from what may be challenging situations we face.

I, along with a friend, Aubrey, the 9th grade Wellbeing Rep, filmed and presented a video explaining the touchstone journey, along with a slideshow, and directions for teachers on how to run the activity. The project was then shared with everyone participating in the school’s advisory groups. An advisory group is a group of about 10 students in grades 7-12, along with a teacher. My school has about 600 students, and every advisory group participated in the From/Toward touchstones activity.

Through the video, we shared that touchstones are a way to express, reflect and heal, while the activity is a way to lean towards acceptance of our own experiences and identify ways to grow and learn from challenging situations. We also provided instructions on how to make the touchstones themselves and laminate them with packing tape. We encouraged the students to share their touchstones, but also did not make it mandatory.

We received amazing feedback on the lesson. One teacher shared that their students “had so much fun doing the activity”. Another teacher said that their advisory group was “engaged in touchstone making and happily chatting with one another throughout the experience”. It made me so happy that I was able to share this experience with so many people, and that they enjoyed it and were able to get something out of it. The ripples this experience made in my school community has brought me so much joy.