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The Purple Zone
Welcome to The Purple Zone (formerly Our Kids Our Schools).
Bridging the Gap between Public Policy, Practice & People.
The Purple Zone explores what it really means to align how we govern, how we educate, and how we show up for our communities.
Hosted by Alexis — a PhD student in public policy and administration, and longtime educator and advocate for kids, communities, and the systems that shape our lives. This podcast connects the dots between policy and practice, without the politics or platitudes.
It’s about naming what often goes unsaid — and making space for a more honest, human approach to systems that impact all of us.
How systems shape our communities, from policy on paper to action in practice. + Thinking Out Loud as a PhD Student
The Purple Zone
Youth Mental Health in Idaho: Creating Upstream Prevention with Dr. Megan Smith
Join Alexis as she sits down with Dr. Megan Smith, Associate Professor in the School of Public and Population Health at Boise State University and Executive Director for Communities for Youth. Together, they explore the mission of Communities for Youth, which is to empower communities in promoting youth well-being. By taking an upstream prevention approach to youth mental health, Communities for Youth collaborates with communities to identify and address risk and protective factors.
In this episode, they delve into the impactful work Megan is doing across the state to address youth mental health. They discuss combating misconceptions, empowering school community leaders to make data-driven decisions based on locally received data, and equipping school community adults with the tools to create upstream prevention strategies. Megan's creation of a behavior youth assessment survey, now offered by the state Department of Education for FREE to all school districts, is a wonderful resource for schools.
This enriching conversation is packed with valuable insights for parents, school leaders, community members, and teenagers alike. To learn more and connect with Megan, visit:
https://www.communitiesforyouth.org/
Find Alexis on Instagram and JOIN in the conversation: https://www.instagram.com/the_idaho_lady/
JOIN the convo on Substack & STAY up-to-date with emails and posts https://substack.com/@theidaholady?r=5katbx&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page
Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
alexis@ourkidsourschools.com
Find great resources and info on school communities:
https://ourkidsourschools.com/