While it may still be the early days of the 2026-2027 school year, Bluewater District School Board (BWDSB) students and staff are already proactively working to prioritize mental health and well-being in schools and work sites.
Approximately 75 Grades 10 and 11 students accompanied by a staff leader from eight secondary schools attended this year’s Youth Wellness Champions Program launch and training event on Monday, September 28, at the BWDSB Education Centre in Chesley.
The Youth Wellness Champions Program is a provincial initiative that began in 2014 through the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, public health units, and School Mental Health Ontario. Locally, it has been running for several years through the strength of a partnership between BWDSB and Grey Bruce Public Health with participation determined through student interest and staff encouragement.
During the launch, student teams of ten are empowered to assume leadership roles within their respective schools to promote mental health and well-being, reduce mental illness related stigma, and encourage healthy coping strategies and substance use prevention. This year, student break-out sessions included activities themed around art therapy, kindness and community building, mindfulness and stress busters, and substances. The day was also designed to help strengthen peer connections across schools, promote learning focused on current mental health and wellness topics, and support the development of ideas and resources for students to bring back to their schools.
For the rest of the school year, the designated Youth Wellness Champions will work with their staff leaders to plan and implement school-wide initiatives that foster connection, belonging, and wellness. In addition to providing guidance and mentorship, each staff leader will help facilitate regular meetings, work with the students to access available funding through public health, and serve as a champion of student leadership.
The Youth Wellness Champions Program also supports the focus area of Well-Being, Belonging, and Engagement recently outlined in BWDSB’s 2026-2027 Annual Priorities. This extends to amplifying the student voice to help inform school and board decisions and identify issues of highest importance to students. BWDSB Chief Executive Officer AJ Keene emphasized the commitment of staff to elevating and learning from the student voice in opening remarks to begin the day.
BWDSB thanks all the staff and partners who contributed to a successful Youth Wellness Champions Program launch.
Supporting active student-led Youth Wellness Champions groups in all secondary schools to promote mentally healthy environments where every student feels safe, included, connected, and valued, aligns with the goals in BWDSB’s 2026-2027 Mental Health and Addictions Strategic Plan. The annual plan is developed by the BWDSB Mental Health Team, a dedicated group of professionally trained and regulated clinicians who have come to the board from the mental health field as members of recognized colleges or recipients of professional designations. Their highly specialized training and expertise are instrumental in delivering a vast range of student and staff wellness supports across more than 40 school and work site locations.
Along with developing system-wide prevention and intervention strategies, the BWDSB Mental Health Team are leaders in tragedy response – modeling sound judgment and carrying significant ethical responsibilities, while holding space and deep compassion for those experiencing grief and trauma during the most difficult circumstances. When responding to critical incidents, their presence complements the on-the-ground work of experienced school administrators.
The ability and capacity to undertake initiatives such as the Youth Wellness Champions Program would not exist without the steadfast leadership, support, and expertise of the BWDSB Mental Health Team. BWDSB thanks and recognizes them for the instrumental and too often overlooked work they do as uniquely qualified professionals and champions of mental health in our schools and work sites.
