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Rensselaer City School District

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Rensselaer CSD and Project AWARE Featured on Front Page of The Troy Record

Posted Date: 06/09/26 (08:51 AM)
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The Rensselaer City School District is proud to share that our students and Project AWARE personnel were featured in a front-page article regarding a new $17 million state budget allocation. This funding will expand Teen and Youth Mental Health First Aidtraining—a program our district proudly pioneered. Our Junior/Senior High School students shared powerful insights in the article regarding the program's impact on reducing stigma and teaching peer-to-peer support:

  • Paige Lawson advocated for statewide expansion to ensure students don't fall through the cracks.
  • Christian Dupree noted how the training taught him to recognize warning signals in his peers.
  • Aven Nadeau shared that the program taught her "it’s okay to not be okay."
  • Kylee Mungia highlighted how she is now better equipped to recognize warning signs and help others.
We extend our sincere gratitude to our dedicated Project AWARE leadership team—Director Jan Zadoorian, Community Project Manager Ryan Kelly, and Restorative Practices Coordinator Joleen Loliscio-Drescher—alongside MHANYS and the NYS Office of Mental Health. Most importantly, we commend our outstanding student representatives for using their voices to champion youth wellness.