I recently had the pleasure of accompanying eight of our most responsible students from Years 8 and 9 to the first Central Coast Student Mental Health Forum. This was organised by Central Coast Local Health District, Children and Young People’s Mental Health (CYPMH) and Headspace Gosford. The aim of the day was to promote good mental health amongst young people and it also provided inspirational ideas on how to stimulate and retain good mental health in our college.
The day included some inspiring speakers such as author Danielle Miller who entertained the students and teachers with her presentation about creating and maintaining positive relationships within colleges. Her lecture included the promotion of positive body image. Students also learnt about the three stages to positive mental health and five steps to help a friend who is experiencing mental health problems.
Under the banner, “Take it Back”, students then had the opportunity to take part in workshops on how to nurture mental health in their own college. Each college came up with their own ideas on mental health promotion. Our students who attended the forum are excited about some of the ways to encourage mental health at IFS and we will be meeting soon to discuss and organise some positive ways to promote this important issue. So stay tuned for news of how we plan to foster mental health at IFS!
What a great opportunity for the students involved.. life lessons