The government of Ontario took an extraordinary step this month when it announced that mental health literacy would be a mandatory subject for Grade 10 high school students as of September, 2024, and that students in Grades 7 and 8 would be given enhanced tools for recognizing and managing mental health issues as of this fall.
It’s a first in Canada, and its impact could be as revolutionary as the introduction of mandatory sex education classes in most provinces in the last century. As such, all the provinces should be watching as Ontario rolls out its program and start thinking…
health education
Ontario Education Minister announces mental health support for students during Burlington visit
Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce kicked off National Mental Health Week in Burlington by announcing new mental health resources and funding to help students.
The minister, joined by Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo and Burlington MPP Natalie Pierre, stated during a Monday, May 1 visit that to strengthen mental health learning and supports in the classroom, the government is updating the Grade 10 Career Studies curriculum with a mental health component and is introducing mandatory resources for teachers and students on mental health literacy in Grades 7 and 8.
“We recognize that mental health is foundational…
A Transformational Initiative to Expand the Indigenous Healthcare Workforce in Northern Ontario
Last Updated on April 20, 2023 by YGK News Staff
The southern appendage of Hudson Bay, James Bay – Weeneebeg (Western Cree)/Wiiniibek (Eastern Cree) – spans about 160 kilometers between Northern Québec and Ontario, with the provincial border at the bottom of the bay. First Nations communities spanning the coast and its many branching rivers, long functioned as trade posts for the Hudson’s Bay Company, including Fort Rupert, Québec (Eastern Cree, Eeyou territory), and Moose Factory Island and Fort Albany, Ontario (Western Cree, Mushkegowuk territories).
The largest and most urban settlement in this region is the town of Moosonee, Ontario,…
Breaking Down Barriers: Empowering Girls through Menstrual Health Education in Bangladesh
“Shampa Malakar experienced menstruation for the first time when she was in the eighth grade. Although the onset of menstruation is a natural process for adolescent girls’, Shampa was previously unaware of the phenomenon, and sprinted to her frightened mother, in a desperate attempt to find some much-needed comfort.
However, the onset of menstruation means a new phase and new vulnerabilities in the lives of adolescents. And poverty, discriminatory social norms, and lack of access to basic services such as toilets and sanitary products, among other challenges, can cause menstrual health and hygiene needs to go unmet. Therefore, it was…
Ontario introducing mental health education for students
The Ontario government announced Monday it will introduce a new mandatory education curriculum for elementary and high school students that aims to increase mental health literacy, in the wake of continued challenges that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new curriculum will be introduced for the next school year, and will involve updates to the career studies course that is required for Grade 10 students, as well as mandatory resources for teachers and students on mental health literacy for Grades 7 and 8.
The program was ushered in due to the advocacy of Progressive Conservative MPP Natalie Pierre, who put…
American Kidney Fund Brings Kidney Health Education to All
ROCKVILLE, Md., March 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today marks the beginning of the American Kidney Fund’s (AKF) fourth annual Kidney Action Week, a free, week-long virtual event dedicated to educating the community on all matters related to kidney health. Kidney Action Week occurs as AKF continues to recognize Kidney Month, a time of unity and action on behalf of all those affected by kidney disease.
Approximately 37 million Americans have kidney disease and 9 out of 10 people with early-stage kidney disease are unaware they have it. Kidney Action Week provides critical information about risk factors for developing kidney…
The Youth Boxing Club that is Changing Lives in Chicago
Listen to the interview with Jamyle Cannon (transcript):
Sponsored by EVERFI and Giant Steps
I remember listening to a conversation once between two men I taught middle school with. Some of the details are fuzzy now, but here’s the gist of it: Both were classroom teachers and both were coaches of our school’s football team. Midterm grade reports had just come out, and they were talking about one kid, a player on the team, who failed one of his classes. According to the team’s policies, the student was supposed to face disciplinary action for this grade, something that amounted to…
Bernie Sanders plans to take Senate committee on the road to give voice to working-class struggles
Sen. Bernard Sanders says he plans on taking the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on the road in the hopes of spotlighting the economic divide between the working class and billionaires.
Mr. Sanders, a Vermont independent and three-time presidential contender, is expected to take the reins of the powerful committee next month and plans to hit the road to pressure Congress to embrace policies he believes would reverse economic trends that have eroded the working class’s faith in democracy.
“Our job is now for Congress to have the courage to take on the powerful corporate interest and their lobbyist…
