Civility in Public Service Award honors politicians collaborating across the aisle for child mental health

A man and a woman receive an award in front of a podium

Photo credit: Kathy Atkinson

In Delaware, 86% of schools don’t have a social worker, leaving many kids without access to the mental health resources they need. But that situation is about to change, thanks to two state representatives who are bucking the stereotype that politicians from opposite ends of the political spectrum can’t work together to make necessary progress.

Delaware House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst and Representative Michael Smith, the cosponsors of a bill to create funding for mental health professionals in schools, were recently recognized with the inaugural Biden School Civility in Public Service Award, supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Ithaca Initiative.

Learn more about how House Bill 100 came about, how it will help kids, and what the award means.

The SNF Ithaca Initiative at University of Delaware Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration, launched this year, will incubate the foundational skills and attitudes that allow civil discourse to flourish and help students become engaged citizen-leaders. Learn more about SNF’s efforts to foster civil discourse and civic engagement.