In celebration of Children’s Mental Health Week in Ontario, and the Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) Mental Health Week, I.E. Weldon Secondary School (IEWSS) hosted their third annual Community Mental Health Fair on May 6.
The event invited 12 local agencies in the City of Kawartha Lakes to speak with students about the support and resources they offer in the community. IEWSS mental health counsellor, Sarah Burgess, also noted that the fair’s primary goal was to introduce students to agencies they could turn to outside of school, particularly during summer break.
“The support our staff gives to students goes beyond the classroom,” explained IEWSS vice-principal, Brad Monfette. “For some, the person they reach out to when they are struggling or need something is their teacher, and for others, it can be an administrator, the school’s mental health counsellor, a custodian, and/or a secretary.”
To encourage active participation, students completed a “passport” that required them to visit at least six agency booths, collect stamps, and answer two questions about what they have learned and who they could reach out to for help if they needed help. Completed passports were entered into a draw to win a prize.
“The passports were a great idea, especially for students who may not have known these agencies existed prior, and also encouraged students to visit booths and ask questions,” said a representative from Peterborough AIDS Resource Network (PARN).
“We love coming to this event. It is an excellent way to make connections and the students are always so engaged and very respectful,” said Women’s Resources representative, Meaghen Parker. “This year, we even had a number of young male students ask us questions — there is an assumption that we only support women, but we don’t, we run a number of different groups.”
