Mental Health

Positive mental health includes feeling content, being able to manage stress and having an overall sense of well-being. Schools can play an important role in promoting positive mental health by helping students learn how to navigate through stressful situations, develop and maintain healthy relationships and create healthy lifestyle behaviours (i.e., healthy eating, physical activity, sleep, etc.). Positive mental health can help students thrive academically, socially, physically and spiritually.

The following resources can be used by teachers to enhance their understanding of positive mental health and to inspire activities and strategies for the classroom and the school environment. For questions, contact Client and Community Support at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 7006 or email clientcommunitysupport@wdgpublichealth.ca.

School Programs

Youth Empowering Students for Mental Health (YES4MH) is a school-wide youth engagement mental health initiative for secondary schools. Visit the School Programs page for more information.

Dreamwalkers Meditations is a program to assist and inspire student mental health and well-being through meditation and mindful minutes. Meditation videos, school trainings, teacher resources and more. For all grade levels.

Kids Have Stress Too! helps educators create an emotionally healthy environment in their classroom by promoting self-regulation and effective stress-management skills and strategies. For Grades JK-6.

Stress Lessons helps educators teach stress-management strategies and skills and build emotional resiliency in their students. For Grades 7-12.

The Outdoor Toolbox is about using outdoor experiences to promote vibrant classroom culture, positive interpersonal relationships, emotional regulation and academic success.

The Umbrella Project (Available at WCDSB) and Wellness Works (Available at UGDSB) provides educators with monthly wellness themes and skill-building to promote positive mental health.

YouthTALK (Canadian Mental Health Association) is a youth-led program to increase awareness, reduce stigma and promote mental health wellness and resiliency. YouthTalk provides presentations and other initiatives such as developing positive message murals, exam mental wellness kits and more.

Recommended Websites

Anxiety Canada provides information about anxiety and educator resources like videos (including Caretoons), podcasts and the CARD system toolkit - a framework to help students prepare for stressful events.

Beyond Images provides lesson plans on media literacy, becoming more resilient to negative body image messaging in the media and building self-esteem. For Grades 4-8.

Dove Self-esteem Project provides lesson plans, activity sheets, workshop resources and videos on media influence and peer pressure, with a focus on promoting and building self-confidence and self-esteem. For Grades 6-8.

Jack.org provides information and resources that help increase education, improve attitudes and change systems around mental health through online courses and presentations (Jack Talks).

Ophea’s Ideas for Action provides easy-to-use activities on the topics of healthy eating, mental health and physical activity that can be modified for elementary or secondary students and their leaders.

PREVNet, Canada’s Health Relationships Hub, provides bullying prevention teaching resources, tools and videos. For Grades 4-8.

School Mental Health Ontario provides evidence-informed information and resources relevant to your role, leadership and guidance about best practices in school mental health, mental health literacy, implementation coaching, resources, training and more.

Strong Kids Strong Minds provides mental health programs, activities, and resources, including programs such as Kids Have Stress Too! and Stress Lessons. For Grades JK-12.

Teach Resiliency provides practical tools for teachers about creating healthy spaces, promoting belonging, building resilience and mental health literacy.