Building mental health and wellness capacity for central Alberta students
Red Deer AdvocateMar 08, 2019
Two influential projects through
The division was successful in receiving funding for a
The funding allows the successful YES program (Youth Empowerment and Support) to expand to
"Only 18 school divisions in the province were successful in their application for this funding," said
Stats show that over 1,500 students have been impacted in
The expanded program will be delivered in a similar manner, with four success coaches expected to be in place over the summer and ready to start next school year.
"We've seen what happens when students cultivate these powerful connections at school – it leads to success in school," said Perdue, whose professional associations also led to the second project.
The 'Wellness Exchange for Children' pilot project is also delivered through
The six week project equips students and staff with many skills from managing reactions and building stronger connections with one another, to training their brains to pay attention to all the good things happening around them.
"This is a huge opportunity for us, because our school is rural and quite isolated so we don't have these types of resources nearby," said