Secondary Student Mental Health Leadership Summit

On Thursday, May 9, 2024, secondary students across the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) gathered at the Pope Francis Centre for the Secondary Student Mental Health Leadership Summit. 

As part of the board’s Mental Health Strategy, Together for Mental Health: Everyone, Everyday, DCDSB has committed to increasing student engagement and leadership regarding mental health promotion. In response to this, students in Grades 9-11 were invited to represent their school and partake in activities surrounding mental health and provide feedback and ideas to raise awareness about mental health in their schools. Ultimately, this summit and collection of student thoughts and ideas will assist in creating a secondary student-led mental health leadership group.

During the summit, students collaborated and focused on creating their group’s core values such as faith, respect and empowerment, and brainstormed mission statements with their peers. Pinewood Centre of Lakeridge Health joined the group for a discussion on substance use, offering some education and began the discussion around addressing substance use at their schools.  Later in the day, students discussed possible group names for the leadership team and landed on the name B Well.

Special thanks to Yulan Fisher-Brown, Christine Congrady and Kim Sundal for facilitating and leading the Mental Health Leadership Summit, and thank you to the students that participated and the educators that accompanied the student groups.