Free Resources

In 1996, the National Safety Council dedicated the month of June as National Safety Month to create awareness of occupational hazards and preventable injuries that can lead to death. This National Safety Month lets us look beyond the workplace. While most teens don’t face workplace accidents on a regular basis, they’re at increased risk for another kind of accident: fatal car crashes.

Read more…

Every year, the month of May is observed as Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States, an outreach initiative founded in 1949 by Mental Health America—previously known as the National Association for Mental Health. The initiative was designed to create public awareness, fight stigma around mental health issues, and provide support to those affected by mental illnesses.

Read more…

In the United States, the legal age for drinking alcohol is 21. Yet, underage drinking remains a significant public health concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol is the most commonly abused substance among young people in America. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that nearly 60% of teens have had one alcoholic drink by age 18. Young people are also more likely to binge drink than adults. The CDC defines binge drinking as consuming five or more drinks on an occasion for men and four or more drinks on one occasion for women. A survey by SAMHSA reported that approximately 5.1 million people under the age of 20 engaged in binge drinking in the month before the survey.

Read more…

March is designated as Women’s History Month, a time to recognize women who accomplished extraordinary feats through determination, intelligence, skill, talent, and sheer will. Although women have made gains over the years in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), they are still underrepresented compared to men. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2019, women represented 27 percent of STEM workers, and men, 73 percent. For this Women’s History Month, let’s look at some of the many American women who were pioneers of their time, continuing to inspire generations of women to come.

Read more…

Historically, the voices of Black storytellers have been excluded from mainstream media. Thankfully, that has started to change. By celebrating and supporting Black authors, we understand more authentic storytelling that reflects Black experiences, identities, and voices. We get an important understanding of American history since, of course, African-American history is a part of our national American story that has not been accurately represented or highlighted in the past.

Read more…

The celebrations of the holiday season are a joyous time for many of us, and the new year is now upon us! As winter settles in, January brings us back in check with our daily responsibilities. Now it’s time to get back to work, prioritize our regular or improved diet and exercise routines, and recover from all the parties. It can be a bit overwhelming if we don’t work at keeping things in balance. As we kick off the new year, it’s a great time to remember the importance of self-care. Of course, self-care means different things for each of us, but the key thing to keep in mind is that self-care is by no means selfish!

Read more…

As we hear through both traditional and social media along with the messaging we receive from the entertainment industry and our friends and our families, the holiday season can be “the most wonderful time of the year” … for some of us. For others, however, the holiday season can prove to be a very difficult time. According to a survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), 38% of people said their stress level increases during the holidays. The National Alliance on Mental Illness states that 64% of people with diagnosed mental illness say the holidays make their conditions worse. The holidays can be demanding for many reasons, but if you’re prone to anxiety, they can be very overwhelming. The gifts, the parties, the baking, the social situations, the travel, the family—or maybe the absence of these things—can make the season stressful.

Read more…

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich histories, diverse cultures, and important contributions of America’s first peoples, as well as a time to bring awareness to the historic political, religious, social, economic, and legal struggles Native Americans continue to navigate. As Americans, it’s a great time to examine our pledge to maintain meaningful partnerships with Tribal Nations, renew our commitment to our nation-to-nation relationships, and continue to work toward ensuring every community has a future they deserve.

Read more…

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a global and annual campaign to help increase awareness and promote early detection of breast cancer. Breast cancer is a common cancer affecting hundreds of thousands of women every year. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer for American women, with 1 in 8 receiving the diagnosis. Over 42,000 Americans die each year from breast cancer.

Read more…

National Recovery Month was launched by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in 1989 and is observed every September to bring awareness, support treatment and recovery practices, and to highlight the dedication of professionals, providers, and communities who make recovery possible.

Read more…