SALEM, Ore. – Some big news from Salem Thursday. Oregon inaugurated its seventh kid governor.
Portland 5th grader Zoya Shah ran on a platform to create mental health awareness in kids.
Her three point plan includes removing stigma, identifying triggers that can cause anxiety and depression, and providing support and tools for kids to cope.
“I feel it is important to create awareness because there are still people out there who think its ridiculous that a kid could have anxiety or depression and some people also feel embarrassed to talk about their feelings,” Shah said. “The only way to solve the problem is to first acknowledge that we have one.”
Shah holds the title of Kid Governor for all of 2024.
The Kid Governor program has been in place in Oregon since 2017 to help 5th graders get involved in civic education.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.