Help Wilder Reach Its Idaho Youth Well-being Survey Goal

The fall marks an important time for the Communities for Youth Wilder Initiative. This October, Wilder middle and high school students will be invited for the second year to participate in the  Idaho Youth Well-Being Survey (IYWS). 

This survey helps us learn what life is like for Wilder students - what’s going well, what’s hard, and what support they need. We use this information to decide how our community can better support young people before they are experiencing emergencies or crisis situations (we call this upstream prevention). It also helps us see if our work is making a difference. 

The IYWS data collected last year helped the community receive over $100,000 in donations and grants to create the Casita and make activities available to youth and the community. Southwest District Health’s Partnerships for Success program, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), supports the Wilder School District in partnering to become a Communities for Youth Initiative to support student mental well-being and prevent youth from using substances like alcohol, marijuana, and stimulants.

Recreation of students taking the IYWS

For the survey results to give us a good picture of how Wilder youth are doing, we need at least 60% of students to participate each year. We’d love your help to reach our goal!

How Can You Help?

• If you are a parent/guardian of a middle or high schooler attending Wilder Middle or High School, please ensure you have provided permission/consent for your child. You can complete the form online. If you have questions or need a paper copy, please contact Rosalie Sanders.

  
  

• If you have already provided consent for your child, you can help us spread the word to other parents about the importance of having a high participation rate for our community. Some parents simply forget to provide consent, while others don’t know that their consent is required for their student to participate, or have concerns based on survey-related misconceptions. Key points to share with parents who may be hesitant include:

  • For the vast majority of teens, asking about their experiences with “risky” behaviors (e.g., using/misusing substances like alcohol or tobacco) does not encourage them to engage in those behaviors.

  • Prior research has shown that the vast majority of teens take surveys like IYWS seriously and do not intentionally make up answers or lie about their behavior.

  • Questions on the IYWS have been purposefully worded to minimize feelings of discomfort or stress. If a question is distressing, participants are encouraged to skip it.

    
    

  • No one will know how your student responds to the survey. The results are completely anonymous and cannot be traced back to individual students.

• As the survey date approaches for your child’s school, we encourage you to speak with your child about the survey. This student-focused handout can help make that conversation easier. 

Overall, the Wilder Communities for Youth Initiative is excited for another year of strategic and focused work to help improve well-being for our local teens.

Interested in getting involved or learning more? Contact Community Lead Kadiyn Griffin at Kaydin.Griffin@swdh.id.gov to learn how you can help support youth well-being in Wilder.