FCHS students get personal with eighth graders during Wildcat Youth Summit

High schoolers help younger students

(BROOKVILLE, Ind.) – A group of Franklin County High School students got vulnerable with eighth graders during the Wildcat Youth Summit on Friday. 

The high schoolers spoke openly about the obstacles they’ve overcome and the battles they're currently facing. 

The goal was to provide eighth graders with a ‘toolkit’ just in case any of them find themselves in a similar situation over the next few years. 

Some topics of conversation included how to navigate difficult family situations, how to handle anxiety, how to deal with problems without alcohol or drugs, and simply, how to be a teenager in this era.  

The high schoolers are members of the Franklin County Youth Leadership Team which is led by teacher Chad Gutzwiller. 

Gutzwiller challenged the high schoolers in January to talk openly about their personal struggles. 

“From there, each student created their own 30-minute session to present to eighth graders. They each did it fully on their own and truly owned it,” Gutzwiller said. 

On Friday, more than 170 eighth graders attended eight different sessions at various places along Main Street in Brookville. 

Each session was organized by a high schooler and included a professional from the community.

“It was a very positive day, teachers escorted the students around town and each eighth grader received a toolkit to cope and manage the things currently weighing them down,” Gutzwiller said. 

The eighth graders received a journal, anxiety relief items and even the awareness to call 988 if suicide ever becomes a thought. 

“These students owned it and they built their own sessions and tailored it to eighth graders. They did it completely on their own and it was fully student-oriented,” Gutzwiller added.

Here are some photos from the Wildcat Youth Summit: