Anchored for Life is a club funded by the US Navy, geared towards giving students a sense of belonging with the community they find themselves in. Contrary to popular belief, Anchored for Life is not specifically for students with a parent in the military; A4L is for any and all students that feel as if they need a community to fit in with.
“Anchored for Life is funded by the Navy, but it’s for all students in the school,” said A4L advisor Tucker Willow.
To achieve a sense of belonging, A4L gives opportunities for meetings one-on-one, with the advisor, or with the group, where they share in conversation with one another. The club also consists of five leaders for every grade who know their way around Central Kitsap High School (CKHS).
A4L club leaders are responsible for making new students feel welcome to CKHS. These incoming students would be able to have a one-on-one time with a club leader, along with a tour of the building. Club leaders are also in charge of how the club operates around the building, from greeting new students to helping the middle schoolers become ready for high school.
“A4L is a peer to peer mentoring club which can help develop leadership skills within the students,” said Anchored for Life club advisor Lori Lidyard.
A4L advocates for students’ mental health, and they believe that aiding incoming students or giving students a place to go will help combat rising mental health issues in youth and adolescents. One of the ways that A4L is helping with student mental health is by spreading awareness to topics that are often left unaddressed.
“We [A4L] spread awareness on topics that typically aren’t mentioned or talked about in a school setting,” said A4L club president Ava Pete. “This could help new students by making them feel heard or understood by someone else.”
The fall needs assessment, which examines student experiences and well-being, found that a sense of belonging was something students felt was deficient and needed improvement. Advisors and members of Anchored for Life work to elevate connections and community.
“A sense of belonging that we belong to is incredibly important in our life-needs list,” said Willow. “When we look at the fall needs assessment, there are many students who feel the lack of a sense of belonging.”
