Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will soon debut a new app focusing on mental health that students and parents can access. The app is called ‘Student Strong’. The app will provide resources and give students the ability to anonymously report incidents of bullying, harassment, and sexual assault or other forms of violence.
Three former students from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring: Anika Seth, Kathryn Lalonde, and Aviva Bechky came up with the idea for the app as they were heading into their senior year. Seth and Lalonde worked together on the Blair student newspaper, ‘Silver Chips’ and it was through their reporting they discovered why this app would be important.
Seth and LaLonde spoke with MyMCM about the creation of the app and what they hope it will provide to students:
The ‘Student Strong’ app is set to go live sometime in January. It will allow students to report anonymously if they choose. The app also will be available in both English and Spanish.
The students who envisioned the app are now sophomores in college. Anika Seth is currently studying biomedical engineering and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies at Yale University. Kathryn Lalonde is an International Studies major at American University. She hopes to pursue a career in policy that focuses on ethics and human rights. Aviva Bechky is currently studying journalism at Northwestern University.
