(Photo: Chinook's Edge School Division)

By Chinook's Edge School Division

over 160 students

Chinook’s Edge students attend Mental Health Summit

Dec 2, 2019 | 1:52 PM

Students from 11 schools across Chinook’s Edge School Division recently took part in the second annual Headstrong Mental Health Summit in Didsbury.

The day-long event is a project from the Chinook’s Edge YES program and the Mental Health Commission of Canada. It involves student leaders who are involving others in positive health and wellness initiatives at their schools.

Raelynn Notley, Director of the YES Program (Youth Empowerment and Support), introduced the YES team to a full house in Didsbury on November 28. Participants spent the day learning from a roster of speakers who shared their stories of overcoming adversity, of creating change through their actions, and of discovering their best selves with the help of others.

At the end of the day, over 160 students shared some of the ideas they were planning to take back to their own schools to promote the health and wellness initiatives that create positive mental health.

“Our speakers shared stories about their mental health challenges, but they also spoke about their path to wellness and their accomplishments,” said Raelynn. “Students are great leaders around the topic of positive mental health and they are excited to bring some of what they learned to others in their schools. Chinook’s Edge is taking a strong lead on health and wellness priorities for students and staff – this Mental Health Summit is another great example of that important work.”

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Students participated from Chinook’s Edge schools in Didsbury, Delburne, Bowden, Olds, Spruce View, Cremona, Carstairs, Olds Koinonia, and Didsbury & Olds Career High Schools.

Keynote speaker, Brett Spring Chief, a hip hop recording artist from the Siksika First Nation, spoke about living with an anxiety disorder and how his life changed when he was diagnosed.

“Knowledge is power and we need to embrace knowledge so we can all live an abundant life,” he said. “Lift each other up – we need one another in this world.”

(Sandy Bexon)