Town Hall Spotlights Youth Mental Health in Pompano Beach 

By June Atlas 

The City of Pompano Beach, together with Broward School Board Member Nora Rupert (District 7), will host a Town Hall Mental Health Event on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the E. Pat Larkins Community Center. The event – “Help us to help you – understanding the impact of stress,” aims to raise awareness about mental health and provide support for students and families. Local officials and educators emphasize the importance of community conversations around youth stress and well-being, hoping to encourage attendees to seek help. The event will feature a Q&A with a panel of experts and a resource fair. 

The upcoming town hall is part of a broader push to prioritize mental health in local communities and schools. In recent years, Florida educators have increased their focus on mental health – since 2019, every Florida public school has been required to provide at least five hours of mental health instruction per year to students in grades 6 through 12. Broward County Public Schools likewise has a dedicated Mental Health Services department with a vision of “promoting mental health awareness, fostering resilience, and building positive community connections” for students and families. Community forums like the Pompano Beach Town Hall put these ideals into action outside the classroom, extending the reach of mental health education into neighborhoods. By hosting this event, the City of Pompano Beach and School Board Member Nora Rupert – along with partners such as the Broward Behavioral Health Coalition and United Way of Broward County’s Commission on Behavioral Health – demonstrate an ongoing commitment to supporting mental wellness at the grassroots level. 

Organizers emphasize that open dialogue and education about mental wellness are vital for both students and adults. In Broward County, nearly 37% of high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless during the past year (according to a 2019 survey).