A deeper look into what Aevidum is and how it affects Freedom

Isabelle Jabbour and Isabella Scipioni

Journalism Students

Aevidum is an after school club founded at Cocalico High School in 2003 in response to a student’s suicide. It is a now nationwide awareness group in schools that helps spread the feelings of comfort and security among students.

  The club, originally called, “A Helping Hand,” was later changed to “Aevidum,” meaning “I’ve got your back,” in Latin.

   Aevidum came to Freedom when a student suggested that the school started a peer mentoring program. This began as Freedom Friends and has evolved into Aevidum, a national organization. Along with Aevidum moving to Freedom, the club is a nationwide organization with over 150 clubs in Pennsylvania and beyond.

  Mrs. Maureen Calvo, Aevidum’s advisor, says that Aevidum is the umbrella over their smaller groups Peer Tutoring and Freedom Friends.

   “Aevidum’s goal is to create an environment where everybody can feel cared for, appreciated, accepted, and acknowledged,” said Mrs. Calvo, special education teacher. She and the Aevidum members want their program to be one that promotes support and safety for everyone, and that anyone can join to help them complete this goal.

   The main goal Aevidum wishes to achieve is to become a culture that binds every aspect of our building and to create support to make sure every student feels safe and acknowledged. In addition, Aevidum wants to shatter the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide by showing students that it is okay to ask for help.

    Aevidum is a safe place where anyone can come to get help with issues they’re having. They connect with students to let them know they’re not alone. Not only does Aevidum connect with students, but the club also connects with the idea of ¨Freedom Family,” and Freedom’s theme this year, “Team of Teams.”

   ¨Our theme this year is team of teams and that’s what I believe; Aevidum is a team,¨ said Mrs. Calvo. With this mindset, Aevidum believes that the tutoring team along with the Freedom Friends team can really take the club above and beyond with the help from students around the school.

  “Because we have such a big mission, we don’t want to just be Aevidum, we would love to feel like Aevidum is really school wide. Aevidum is everywhere.” said Mrs. Calvo.

  If you are interested in joining Aevidum, first consider which section of the program you’d like to join. Freedom Friends has meetings every Wednesday in room 302 after school. Anyone can join or attend meetings whenever they can.

  To join Peer Tutoring, you will need to be referred by a teacher and will be required to fill out an application. However, you can contact Mrs. Calvo in room 130 for more information on joining. Aevidum is open to anyone and everyone and hopes to see plenty of new faces this school year!

Photo credit: Karla Erdman, adviser