HuddlUp Mental Health Program Expands to ROCORI High School with $30,000 Matching Grant Challenge

(KNSI) — The HuddlUp program, launched at ROCORI Elementary School four years ago to improve student mental health outcomes, is expanding.

The expansion is to include high school students as “near-peer” mentors, as according to a press release, early results from classrooms using the HuddlUp curriculum and activities show promising outcomes. Students reported improved peer relationships, reduced anxiety, and better stress management skills.

“Relationships are the foundation of mental health,” said Jerry Sparby, HuddlUp founder and retired ROCORI Elementary principal. “We can’t expect good academic performance if we don’t support students’ mental wellbeing.”

“Teens want to be part of something,” explained Jim Meyer, HuddlUp coach and retired ROCORI teacher. “They want to be seen and to be appreciated.”

The release says that by involving high school students as mentors who assist HuddlUp coaches in elementary classrooms, the program creates an additional layer of positive impact.

This mentoring portion of the curriculum was piloted last year. Officials with the program say groups of high school students worked with younger peers through HuddlUp’s play-based activities, demonstrating friendship building, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. ROCORI science teacher Brad Bauer emphasized the program’s active approach, noting that “you can’t teach better mental health, you improve mental health through active engagement.”

The HuddlUp program focuses on getting students away from screens and out of their seats to engage in social play activities. According to program leaders, these methods are successfully achieving the goal of improving student mental health and wellbeing, with high school students now playing a crucial role in the solution.

Feedback from last year’s high school mentor cohort was overwhelmingly positive. “I absolutely love working with HuddlUp because I feel like I get to change kids’ lives one day at a time,” said ROCORI student mentor Norah H. “It brings me so much joy to be with the children and feel like I’m making a difference for someone.”

To support the program’s expansion throughout the ROCORI School District, community members have an opportunity to help meet a $30,000 matching grant challenge. The program has already received backing from local organizations, including the ROCORI Area Foundation, Stearns County Health Department, and Lions Clubs in Rockville, Richmond, and Cold Spring. An anonymous donor has committed a matching grant to support HuddlUp’s growth across the district.

Community members interested in contributing to the matching grant can click here or send donations to PO Box 1042, St. Cloud, MN 56302, with “ROCORI Matching Grant” noted in the memo line.

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