SANDPOINT — In one area, students shouted out the names of a mentor, earning a piece of candy tossed their way.

In another, a fierce "Family Feud"-type game saw students sharing positive family activities and traditions. A third area had them paired off — one teammate eyes-closed, the other guiding them through a 20-foot obstacle course.

The stations were part of eight total designed around the eight Sources of Strength components and incorporated into Sandpoint Middle School's mental wellness walk in late May.

One of the last big events before summer break, students in the school's Design for Change class spent the year planning, designing, and working on the project.

This year, the DFC class was paired with Sources of Strength, a national program aimed at positive mental health and suicide prevention, teacher Ann Dickinson said.

After walking from the school to Travers Parks, students took part in a series of activities designed around the Sources of Strength wheel, from mental and physical health to family support, mentors, and healthy activities.

“The kids developed campaigns that empathized each part of the Sources of Strength wheel and they do it throughout the year,” Dickinson said. “They’ve done a bunch of campaigns throughout the year; for generosity, for example, they held a drive for the animal shelter and a drive for the food bank.”

Other components of the wheel include finding mentors, finding health activities to release stress, and spirituality, which includes finding one or more things that give you purpose, Dickinson said.

At the late May walk, that included inviting high school students who spoke with the seventh and eighth graders about the things that give them purpose.

Segments also featured Nancy Jenkins from Bonner General Health teaching students about sugar intake and how it affects the body, a "Family Feud"-type game show that helped students identify positive family activities and traditions.

Another activity had students toss cornhole beanbags as they named a positive friend who helps them and shouted out what they did to help them.

As part of organizing the event, the DFC students used designed thinking, a problem-solving process involving brainstorming and research to identify possible solutions to problems. The process is again used if there is a roadblock, with students again brainstorming and researching to identify possible changes and adaptations.

Among those taking part in organizing the event was Tessa MacDougall, selected as the U.S. representative for Design for Change's International Student Council, said the program has helped her grow and given her the confidence to make a difference.

MacDougall, one of four students staffing the generosity station, said Design for Change and Sources of Strength help students be better versions of themselves.

“The whole goal [of Design for Change] is really just to give back and help strengthen communities and just help build a positive relationship with people,” the youth said of the station’s purpose. “Our strength, generosity in particular, we’re trying to teach kids about all of the stuff that we’ve done and how easy it can be to do small things and still have a great impact.”

A compliment letting someone know that you appreciate their kindness or letting them how good they are at math or sports, those acts go a long way to boosting confidence and mental health, MacDougall said.

“Pretty soon, they’re going, ‘Hey somebody keeps telling me these things, I guess they’re really true about myself’ or ‘They’re telling me I’m a great person because I’m helping somebody else out. Maybe I really am,’ “ MacDougall said. “It just creates the butterfly effect.”

The butterfly effect is the theory of small acts or changes can result in more widespread and larger effects elsewhere.

MacDougall said she was introduced to Design For Change through a class paper and fell in love with the idea that she, too, could make a difference in the world.

“I think spreading the word that when kids are given the resources, they can do stuff, they can make stuff happen,” she added. “I think just being able to do things that help people is what really clicked for me.”

She pursued the seat on the international council because she wants other youths to gain the same sense of empowerment, to realize that they too can make a difference in the world.

“I think what I get out of it specifically is just that I can help people and I want kids to feel that way, too,” said MacDougall. “Because some kids have such great ideas and they're just scared about how am I going to make this happen because they think ‘Hey, I'm just a kid, no one's gonna believe me.’ ‘No one's gonna listen to me.’ ‘My thoughts are invalid.’

“I want to change that. I feel like you should always have the right to speak and voice your opinion about something.”

The SMS students said they want the community to know that their generation cares, and is passionate about making the world a better place — and to give them a chance to be heard and to be involved.

The DFC students said organizing the walk helps them show their classmates how they, too, can get involved and make a difference.

“With this, they can really get out there and experience new things, even possibly start their own club like Design for Change,” student Jonah Favaro said. “It’s really important for kids to know that their ideas are worth something and not just in the trash.”

DFC gives students a process where they can brainstorm their ideas, share them and refine them without feeling judged, both Isabella Summer and Olivia Williams said. It removes some of the fear of coming up with ideas or worrying about what happens if it doesn’t work right away.

The group told those visiting their station about projects they had accomplished at SMS, from food drives for both the animal shelter and the food bank to a Random Act of Kindness Day at the middle school.

All of those projects showed how people with diverse likes, dislikes, ideas, and ages can accomplish great things by working together. And, often, many of them were grateful for similar things.

For Cayla Ruff and Morgan Dail, sharing ideas with their fellow students on how they can be involved or help others is pretty cool. Shayne McAuliffe said being a part of putting on the event has given them the confidence to express their ideas and to be confident in who they are.

As they led a group in a friendly game of “Simon Says,” Sydney Carlson and Tacey Tajan talked to their fellow students about mental health and how important it is to speak up when they are feeling sad — or if they see a friend or classmate struggling.

Ask them if they are feeling OK, help them to feel better about themselves and, if needed, enlist the help of a trusted adult.

Both Tajan and Carlson enjoy being involved and helping others.

“I like helping others feel included,” Carlson said. “I just like helping people.”

Like their classmates, the pair said they want adults and the community to know they want to make a difference.

“We can make a change, that all of us have the opportunity, if we're given it, to put in the effort and make a huge change in our community,” Tajan said. “Sometimes we're not given that opportunity, but with classes and programs like this, we are given that opportunity to show what our generation is capable of.