Public School Chaplains For Students Safety: Awareness Campaign Launched
The National School Chaplain Association (NSCA) has launched an awareness campaign that tackles the safety of children in public schools.
The recently launched awareness campaign discusses the need for schools to have chaplains who will provide moral and spiritual care for students, helping them navigate their emotional and psychological struggles with their teachers, peers, and family.
More information is available at https://nationalschoolchaplainassociation.org
NSCA’s new awareness campaign coincides with an article published by the World Health Organization about mental health problems in children and teenagers. According to the report, today’s youth are facing unique struggles that did not exist in the generations prior. They are under more pressure academically, face more social issues because of social media, and have to adhere to higher standards if they wish to attend top universities and get decent jobs.
The association believes that because of all these pressures, students must have a safe space to open up about their problems and get the emotional support they need. Most schools in the US do not provide spiritual, psychological, and emotional guidance, which may translate to poor academic performance, difficult behavior, and even teenage pregnancy and drug addiction.
The chaplains from the NSCA are trained to talk to teenagers who are going through difficult times. They use prayer and scripture to help and guide the youth and give them a strong spiritual foundation. The association believes that by acknowledging a higher power, the youth can make better, morally sound decisions. This habit can also carry on into adulthood as they find jobs and have their own families.
While the Bible and spirituality are at the core of the NSCA’s chaplaincy program, they welcome all students, whatever their religious background. The association believes that the Bible has plenty of universal truths and that the values that it teaches are useful even to those who have different faiths.
“We do students a grave disservice when we do not encourage them to integrate what they at least claim is important in their lives with how they live. Unfortunately, for too many students, there is a disconnection between what they say is important in their lives and how they conduct themselves, hence the need for school chaplains” a spokesperson said.
More information is available at https://nationalschoolchaplainassociation.org
