By rdnewsNOW staff

Chinook’s Edge students aim to enhance positive mental health

Dec 1, 2018 | 7:29 AM

Nearly 160 students from 15 Chinook’s Edge schools are coming together next week to launch a division-wide mental health capacity building project.  

On December 6 at the Zion Church in Didsbury, students from Sylvan Lake, Spruce View, Innisfail, Bowden, Olds, Didsbury, Sundre, Carstairs and Cremona will all take part in the full-day conference.

Chinook’s Edge officials describe it as the first of its kind in the division, involving students from Grades 7-11 keen on promoting health and wellness initiatives in their school communities.

The event is a partnership between the Chinook’s Edge YES program (Youth Empowerment and Support) and the Mental Health Commission of Canada, which provided financial support, a speaker line-up and training in preparation for the event.  

“We were going to cap attendance at 100 students, but they kept registering and we ended up with 156 participants,” said Raelynn Notley, Director of the YES program in a press release. “The goals are to continue to raise awareness of mental health, reduce the stigma of mental health challenges, and plan activities that build on the positivity and caring culture in our schools. Each student was required to show their willingness to engage fully in these efforts and to be leaders of positive initiatives in their schools.”

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According to Chinook’s Edge officials, the organizing committee has been working on details since last spring, with the division’s strong team of Family School Wellness Workers set to guide the ongoing efforts at the school level.

The event involves an opening keynote speaker, a series of small group activities, and speaker panels.

Officials say an activity will take place after each speaker, with the hope of facilitating discussion around any stigmas that may exist related to certain mental health challenges, in addition to brainstorming steps for redirecting attitudes.

Small group action planning at the end of the day where students will determine specific projects and goals to continue the work of enhancing positive mental health at their school is seen as perhaps the most significant aspect for participants.

“The focus of the entire day is on the health and wellness aspects that create positive mental health,” adds Notley. “Our guest speakers have overcome adversity on their individual path to wellness, and they will share some of those stories of resiliency. But most significantly they will engage students in defining the many positive, proactive opportunities around them at school and in the larger community to enhance wellness.”