Mind Your Business online Mental Health Forum

Mind: Your Business

Mind: Your Business, a monthly online Mental Health Forum for Senior School students from Toronto-area independent schools, launched on October 20. The forum takes place on Zoom and is led by a group of inter-school student leaders who work to unify and elevate student voices in support of student-led, adult supported mental health and well-being discussions.
Student facilitators have been trained to facilitate the forum, which focuses on peer education through activities, discussion and reflection as students return to school in the mi dst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Head Prefect Jacob Buchan and three other Grade 12 students have been trained as facilitators, along with students from Greenwood, UTS and Branksome, and thinks it’s a worthwhile initiative.

“Mental health has really been at the forefront of conversation, especially those around high school students. It’s definitely worth discussion and it makes it more meaningful having the discussion led by students. Ideally, it moves the discussion more towards the social environment,” said Jacob. “I think it’s going to be useful and meaningful.”

After the first meeting on October 20, Jacob is feeling hopeful.

“In a word, it’s looking... promising,” he said. “While the first-day turnout was modest, we have an excellent group of student leaders dedicated to improving the initiative; once the word is out there, I expect the program will only improve as the year goes on.”
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