May is Mental Health Awareness Month — and for the families, students, and educators in our community, it’s an invitation to talk about something that doesn’t always make it into school newsletters or STEM career panels: how our young people are actually doing.
Because behind every test score, robotics competition, and college application essay is a young person carrying more than most people see.
A conversation our community has rarely been invited into
For Black and Latinx youth, mental health has historically been a topic spoken about in whispers, if at all. Cultural stigma, language barriers, and a painful shortage of culturally competent providers have kept families from accessing support that should have been theirs from the start. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Black adults are more likely to experience persistent feelings of sadness than their white peers, yet far less likely to receive treatment. The pattern is similar in Latinx communities, where roughly 1 in 10 Latinx youth seeks out a mental health professional, even when symptoms are present.
When the system isn’t built with our families in mind, our kids learn to carry things alone. And in the high-pressure environments of advanced STEM coursework, that weight only grows.
Why STEM pathways add a particular kind of pressure
STEM education opens incredible doors. But for students of color, the path often comes with invisible costs.
Being the “only one” in an honors physics class. Walking into a coding camp and not seeing yourself reflected in the room. Carrying the quiet pressure of representing not just yourself, but your whole family, neighborhood, or culture. Knowing your parents made sacrifices you can’t fully name so you could even be in that seat.
These realities don’t show up on report cards. But they shape whether a young person stays in the pipeline or quietly steps away.
A holistic view of student success
At Harlem STEM Up, we believe academic achievement and emotional well-being are part of the same work. A student who feels seen, supported, and grounded is a student who can dream bigger, take more academic risks, and recover when something doesn’t go as planned.
That’s why we celebrate educators like Tai Abrams, whose book Gratitude as a Habit reminds teens that mindset and resilience are part of the curriculum, too. It’s why our mentorship programs are designed to support the whole student, not just the transcript.
Resources built with our community in mind
If you or a young person in your life needs support, these organizations were built for us:
- The Steve Fund focuses on mental health and well-being for young people of color. Text STEVE to 741741 to reach a crisis counselor any time.
- The AAKOMA Project is culturally informed mental health support for youth of color and their families.
- Therapy for Black Girls and Therapy for Latinx offer directories to help families find culturally responsive providers.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text 988 anytime for free, confidential support.
- SAMHSA offers federal mental health resources, including bilingual materials for families.
The bigger picture
A future built by our young people requires them whole, with minds, hearts, and dreams intact. This Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s talk about it openly. Let’s normalize seeking support. And let’s keep building a community where our students are celebrated for who they are, not just what they produce.
