The Project

The Leadership Gilroy Class of 2021 “Back the Care Pack” project focused on mental health for students during COVID.

The project focused on 8th grade students across all Gilroy middle schools as the students were about to transition into high school after being home during COVID. The Leadership Gilroy Class of 2021 identified that students were dealing with isolation from distance learning, anxiety about returning to in-person school, and a lack of normal middle school experiences.

The Leadership Gilroy Class of 2021 created “care packs” designed to help students manage stress and feel supported. They raised funds by holding a “Back the Care Pack” Softball Tournament at Christmas Hill Park on October 10, 2021 where community teams competed in a softball tournament. The funds raised from that softball tournament were used to purchase stress relief items (squeeze balls and fidget toys), journals for processing thoughts and information about mental health and therapeutic resources.

The Class of 2021 made a meaningful impact during one of the hardest school year.