Students ‘Take ACTion’ addressing youth issues through short films

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Students in the Rapid City community are taking action to address topics that many of us forget youth can experience.

The youth-led program Take ACTion was first created in 2013 as a live theater group and expanded to short films going into 2019. The focus of those films is topics that students and kids could go through during their intermediate and secondary education.

Those talks take place in a room at the Youth and Family Services Child Development Center, where the group is planning and working on a script for a film being made by students for their peers.

“These are topics that kids are dealing with every day, like stress over a test. It’s such a big mental health problem that a lot of people don’t even think about because it’s just so normal,” expressed Rapid City student Amelia.

The subject of classroom stressors isn’t the only thing the group focuses on.

“Bring awareness to certain topics that sometimes people are too scared to speak about and that people aren’t informed enough about,” explained Rapid City student Sophia.

Some of those sensitive topics would include discussions about eating disorders, running away from home, thoughts of suicide, and other related issues. The heavy work put into the films all comes from the perspective of a student, all to help their peers.

“When people see the films, it might help them come out of something,” expressed Rapid City student Jaden.

The program reaches out to more than just the Rapid City community.

“We present them at Freshmen Impact in various communities throughout the Black Hills Region and even into Western South Dakota. So, these are one-day prevention events, and the kids facilitate these break-out sessions, so, they show the film that they were in, and one or two of the kids then navigate a Q&A session with the youth who were participating. So, they are spreading an impact to their peers,” explained Youth & Family Services family support and advocacy services director Nikkole Abbas.

All to have their peers understand and reach out for help if they need it or think they are in need of it.

“I want them to understand the whole cliché, ‘you are not alone,’ I mean, you aren’t; that’s like a whole thing with that, especially with teenagers from personal experience as teenagers,” expressed Rapid City student Leo.

If you want to find out more about the Take ACTion group you can go to their YouTube Channel. You can also find more information through the Youth & Family Services Stronger Youth Program and if you or someone you know needs support you can text or dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

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