A youth focused and collaborative mental health and wellbeing initiative called YOU MATTER is put on by the Avon Maitland District School Board, and the Rural Response for Healthy Children.
The program is designed to remind everyone that we all have mental health.
Recently Queen’s and Western Universities compiled a report following this year’s virtual YOU MATTER event.
Highlights of the report include:
– More than 250 grades 6-12 students and approximately 80 adults from across 41 AMDSB schools joined the YOU MATTER 2 virtual event. In addition, three dignitaries (Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, Randy Pettapiece, MPP Perth-Wellington, and Lisa Thompson, MPP Huron-Bruce) joined to learn about the work.
– YOU MATTER 2 student participants identified six big ideas that they wanted to learn more about: Coping techniques, school plans, supporting others, MHWB education, resources, and stigma reduction.
– Almost 80% of YOU MATTER 2 participants identified feeling empowered to make a difference with MHWB in their classrooms and schools.
– Researchers identified five themes from student data about the challenges students face when seeking MHWB supports: Stigma, fear of embarrassment, accessibility, lack of privacy, and technology issues.