Mental Health Excellence in K-12: Honoring the 2025-2026 Peggy Kubert Model Schools
Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- What is the Peggy Kubert Model School Recognition? It is an exclusive designation from Erika's Lighthouse honoring schools that build exemplary cultures of mental health excellence.
- Why This Recognition Matters: Honorees successfully implement evidence-based, Tier-1 depression education and suicide prevention programs to ensure every student has a safe and supportive environment.
- National Impact: This year's stellar list of winning schools spans various states, demonstrating a widespread, cross-country movement toward empowering students and educating educators.
What is a Peggy Kubert Model School in Mental Health Excellence?
At Erika's Lighthouse, we believe that every student deserves good mental health. Ensuring that students thrive requires more than occasional programming—it requires total cultural transformation.
The Peggy Kubert Model School in Mental Health Excellence recognition is designed to establish a clear set of best practices for school districts. This initiative identifies, celebrates, and honors champion schools across the country that demonstrate an unwavering commitment to youth mental health by focusing aggressively on prevention, early identification, and stigma-free conversations.
To achieve this honor, these institutions actively excel at tier-1 mental health programming by working within an effective multi-tiered system of support and are working to create an inclusive school culture for students, staff, and families, weaving mental health awareness directly into the daily fabric of their school culture.
Spotlighting the 2025-2026 Model Schools
We are profoundly proud to announce the distinguished schools that have earned the Peggy Kubert Model School designation for the 2025-2026 school year. These schools stand as beacons of hope, lighting the path to wellness for every child who walks their halls.
Please join us in celebrating this year's incredible awardees:
Leading the Charge in Comprehensive Prevention
- American International School of Bucharest - Romania
- Aurora Central Catholic High School - Aurora, IL
- Ballou Jr. High School - Puyallup, WA
- Caravel Middle School - Carmel, ME
- Colonel Fred Cherry Middle School - Suffolk, VA
- Delcastle Technical High School - Wilmington, DE
- Dr. E. Alma Flagg Elementary School - Newark, NJ
- Foothill High School - Pleasanton, CA
- Frank Wagner Elementary School - Monroe, WA
- Grove City Christian School - Grove City, OH
- Harmoney Elementary School - Harmony, NC
- Howard High School of Technology - Wilmington, DE
- Kipp Explore Academy - Houston, TX
- Loma Vista Elementary School - Salinas, CA
- Martins Ferry High School - Martins Ferry, OH
- Millington Primary School - Millington, TN
- Oak Park & River Forest High School - Oak Park, IL
- Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School - Newark, DE
- Quitman Elementary School - Quitman, TX
- Quitman High School - Quitman, TX
- Rose Bud Elementary School - Rose Bud, AR
- Russia High School - Russia, OH
- St. Georges Technical High School - Middletown, DE
- Strafford High School - Strafford, MO
- Technical Senior High School - St. Cloud, MN
- Tippecanoe Middle School - Tipp City, OH
Spotlight on Our Four Pillar Schools: Building Inclusive Cultures
A critical subset of our recognized champions includes our Four Pillar Schools. These exemplary institutions follow the Four Pillar Model by simultaneously implementing programs across all key areas of the school landscape: classroom education, student-leadership, family engagement, and staff training.
Rather than treating mental health as an isolated checklist item, Four Pillar Schools understand that true intervention requires a wrap-around framework. By equipping busy educators, empowering student-led initiatives, and extending accessible resources to parents, these schools are working tirelessly to create an inclusive, protective school culture where students, staff, and families alike feel safe, heard, and supported. Congratulations to the 2025-2026 Four Pillar award recipients:
- The American International School of Muscat - Oman
- Cairo American College - Egypt
- Colville School District - Colville, WA
- Cutler School - Hamilton, MA
- Union County School District - Morganfield, KY
- Villa Maria Academy - Malvern, PA
Driving Total Culture Change Through the Four Pillars
How do these schools successfully achieve this level of excellence? They don't rely on isolated assemblies. Instead, they activate a wrap-around framework that relies heavily on collective action. Following our Four Pillar Philosophy, these Model Schools implement:
- Classroom Education: Accessible, expert-developed curriculum taught by school staff to maintain trusted adult-student relationships.
- Empowerment Clubs: Safe spaces where students lead positive, peer-led mental health campaigns.
- Family Engagement: Breaking down language barriers and extending support tools directly into students' homes.
- Policy and Staff Training: Equipping busy educators with the vital, structured skills needed for early identification and intervention.
By offering our programs at zero cost to school districts, Erika's Lighthouse helps these winners remove financial friction, shifting the focus completely onto saving lives and fostering empathy.
Moving Toward Vision 2030
The dedication of the 2025-2026 Peggy Kubert Model School winners is a massive leap forward on our journey toward Vision 2030. We envision a future where mental health education is standard in every single school district nationwide.
As one proud Club Advisor shared: “This was so ground-breaking for our school... One reason I truly love being a club advisor is because I became a safe person to so many more students!”
Congratulations to all of our incredible 2025-2026 winners. Thank you for your passion, your confidence, and your relentless pursuit of mental health excellence. You are not just imagining a brighter future—you are actively creating it.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the main requirements to become a Peggy Kubert Model School?
A. To earn the Peggy Kubert Model School Recognition, a school must demonstrate a dedication to establishing best practices in prevention and early identification. This is achieved by completing the Erika’s Lighthouse Tier-1 Assessment, which assesses whether a school is comprehensively adapting and implementing tier-1 mental health programming. The assessment helps determine whether a school is working within an effective multi-tiered system of support and is working to create an inclusive school culture for students, staff and families.
Q: How much does it cost for a school district to use Erika's Lighthouse programs?
A. All Erika’s Lighthouse Tier-1 mental health programs, classroom curricula, campaign materials, and staff training modules are provided at zero cost to school districts and busy educators across the country.
Q. Can outside guest speakers come in to implement these Model School programs?
A. In general, no. Erika’s Lighthouse strongly believes that mental health programs must be taught and implemented directly by existing school staff. This ensures that the individuals delivering the curriculum are consistently available in the building as potential trusted adults for students who may be experiencing depression or other mental health challenges.
Kristina Kins
Kristina came to Erika’s Lighthouse in 2016 as a graduate intern and joined the team full time in 2017 as Director of Outreach & Development. After spending many years in the business and financial services sectors, Kristina is excited to be working with an organization that promotes the importance of good mental health through education. She obtained her Master of Social Work (MSW), along with a certificate in Non-Profit Management and Philanthropy, from Loyola University Chicago. Kristina graduated from Miami University (Ohio) with a BA in sociology.