Project 180 is a student centered, collaborative venture between Four school districts in Door County, Wisconsin: Gibraltar, Sevastopol, Sturgeon Bay and Southern Door. The Project was started in 2011 and has continued non-stop, even through the pandemic. The mission of the project is to empower students and student leaders to make a positive impact on their communities on the issues of substance use and mental health. The student leaders will discuss their collaboration and efforts.

At a time when students across the state are reporting historic levels of mental health and substance use issues, information, support and access to help are a primary concern. Like most rural communities, the main culprits are lack of services and isolation. In Door County, we have one mental health provider to 740 residents; much lower than the Wisconsin average, 420:1 and about twice as many people to provider ratio as the US average, 340:1. (2023 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps Wisconsin). Project 180 student leaders and members work within their schools and communities to create and sustain a culture of health, wellbeing and good decision making.

Many rural communities would benefit from a similar, and doable, multi district collaborative effort that is guided by caring and supportive advisors and administrators, but driven by passionate and inform student leaders.