GUELPH, Ontario – Continuing the success of the Umbrella Project last year, the Upper Grand District School Board is excited to kick-off another year of monthly wellness themes and skill building to promote positive mental health. The work will be done through both Umbrella Project content and additional content curated and developed by UGDSB staff for added value.
Over the summer, a small team of educators worked to embed some of the suggestions and learning that they have been engaging with at the UGDSB in support of the board’s commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression and the critical alignment between wellness and pedagogy. As a result, the work that started as the Umbrella Project has begun its evolution to a more comprehensive, equity-based resource, with content curated by and developed for the UGDSB community. The Umbrella Project content is still a valuable component to this broader work and remains available on internal staff websites.
The UGDSB values mentally healthy schools, classrooms and work sites. Our focus will include monthly themes, activities and curriculum links to support students and staff. There will also be monthly newsletters on school websites to support parents/guardians to build these skills alongside their children. This year’s themes include topics such as kindness, empathy, authenticity, integrity and more. The themes will be posted on the board website as well as the parent website for children and youth mental health and wellbeing. Follow #MHUG on Twitter for the latest updates on mental health and wellness in the UGDSB.
The UGDSB is grateful for a donation from Edge Mutual, which has allowed the board to utilize the Umbrella Project program.
About the Upper Grand District School Board
The Upper Grand District School Board serves more than 35,000 students through 65 elementary schools and 11 secondary schools in the City of Guelph, County of Wellington and County of Dufferin. The UGDSB covers the ancestral and traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Six Nations of the Grand River, and Saugeen Ojibway Nation Territories. Student success is the goal of over 4,000 dedicated teaching and support staff who are aided by the contributions of caring volunteers and community partners.
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