Mental health concerns in high school students are especially pronounced during life transitions, such as the shift from high school to college. These periods often lead to heightened anxiety, stress, and maladaptive coping mechanisms, negatively affecting overall well-being. Due to the cultural stigma associated with mental health, high school students within the U.S-Mexico border region often refrain from seeking help, which makes it difficult to manage their emotional well-being during important life transitions like getting ready for college. This service-learning project in collaboration with The 100-Solution Organization, aimed to assess the impact of podcasts as an educational tool to enhance mental health literacy among high school juniors and seniors, raise awareness about local resources, and address cultural stigma.

To help break down stigma and provide resources involving mental health, we collaborated with a licensed counselor to answer a series of questions surrounding the topics of cultural stigma on mental health within the border region and transitional periods in students' lives. Using the podcast room at The University of Texas at El Paso, we recorded and distributed a podcast to students and school counselors. Participants were surveyed using a modified impact survey to evaluate the podcast’s effectiveness.

The results revealed significant positive outcomes. Fifty-six percent of participants were previously unaware of local mental health resources. Notably, 100% of participants found the podcast helpful, and 96% expressed a willingness to share the information with peers, highlighting the podcast’s relevance to their needs. Overall, this project highlights the promise of innovative, accessible educational tools like podcasts to improve mental health literacy and support high school students, particularly in border communities, during critical life transitions.