Cd’A students to receive wellbeing survey

Throughout October and November, all students in grades 6-12 in the Coeur d'Alene School District will receive an anonymous survey designed to identify the biggest issues affecting youth well-being in the district.

Based on the survey results, a coalition of youth service providers led by Polly Grasham, substance use disorder prevention educator at Panhandle Health, will determine next steps to address those issues.

“We get so little data in regards to how our kids are struggling,” Grasham said. “Adults sometimes think we know the problem, so it’s going to be interesting to hear it directly from the youth.”

The survey, called the Idaho Youth Well-Being Survey, is funded by the Idaho Department of Education and facilitated by the nonprofit organization Communities for Youth.

Survey responses cannot be traced back to individual students. They will be offered only to those whose parents have given permission, according to Coeur d'Alene School District Mental Health Coordinator Keith Orchard. The survey will ask students questions about their habits, family life, and physical and mental health.

“If we’re going to help youth, there are some things we should do,” Orchard said. “We’ll create a strategic plan to address the systemic roots.”

After students complete the survey, Orchard said it will take about three weeks for the Communities for Youth team to process the data and identify the biggest issues facing students at each school and across the district.

The team will present the results to each school's principal and district leadership. The team will also present the data to the public at the Kroc Center in December.

The coalition led by Grasham met for the first time this week. After receiving the survey data, members will meet regularly and pursue specific goals to address issues facing the students. Communities for Youth will provide grant-writing support to help the coalition meet its goals.

“It feels like there’s so much that’s possible if we work together,” Grasham said. “We can change things in a positive way, and our kids deserve that.”

The process has previously been used in other Idaho school districts, including Marsing and Boise. Orchard said the Marsing School District used survey results to address youth depression by creating third spaces and community activities for young people, reducing social isolation.

“We don’t have the data yet, but I am excited we have a process that is research-focused and proven to work,” Orchard said. “We will pick something we can work on together, and we can see a true impact in a short time.”