In March, the Cambridge Public Schools and Cambridge’s public health department released the results of a 2022 Teen and Middle Grades Health Survey  gathered information about behaviors associated with the leading causes of physical and mental illness and injury among 2,200 district students in grades six through 12. The survey, which 69 percent of high school students and 76 percent of middle schoolers participated in, covered a range of topics from mental well-being, substance use and bullying to after-school activities, nutrition and sleep.

Next week, at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Main Library and virtually, the Healthy Children Task Force will host a conversation to discuss the results. Among those who will be on the panel are Jamie McCarthy, coordinator of Cambridge Public Schools physical education, health and wellness; Alice Cohen, social-emotional learning lead teacher for the district; Rachel Weinstein, vice chair of the Cambridge School Committee; and Caroline Hunter, chair of the committee’s School Climate Subcommittee.

We invite you to join us to learn more about what students report about their physical and mental health, hear how the survey was administered and what actions the Cambridge Public Schools and the Cambridge Department of Public Health are taking.

We ask that community members submit questions or concerns about the study before the event on Wednesday so we can use them to shape the agenda. You can register for the virtual event or join us in person in the Lecture Hall at the Main Library.

Avra Goldman and Marc McGovern, co-chairs of the Cambridge Healthy Children Task Force; Chandra Banks, Bill Barnert, Julie Croston, Deirdre Logan, Matt Mena-Landry and Ariana Starling, members