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Youth Wellness Initiatives

The Youth Wellness Initiatives (YWI), previously known as the Youth Mental Health and Addiction Champions (YMHAC) initiatives, is a comprehensive, peer-to-peer program that aims to meaningfully engage, empower, and equip youth to become wellness leads in their schools. With support from Adult Allies, Youth Leads will plan, implement, and evaluate health promotion activities within their schools to create a more supportive and resilient school and/or community.

For more information and resources, access the Youth Wellness Initiatives Toolkit.

Opportunity to Apply for a Mini-Grant

With the support of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), the PHU is offering mini-grants to district high schools to assist in effectively delivering a YWI activity. Each eligible school can claim up to a minimum of $225 (depending on the number of applications received).  

  • The activity or initiative must touch upon one or more of the following general categories:
  • Increase awareness of mental health, stigma, and substance use resources within the local community.
  • Increase in knowledge related to coping strategies, achieved through participation in activities that may support mental health promotion and/or substance use prevention.
  • Reduced stigma related to mental illness or addiction directed toward peers.  

Steps to access funding:  

  1. Select adult ally lead(s) at the school.
  2. Adult ally lead(s) complete a short orientation/refresher with a public health lead by February 9, 2024.
  3. Recruit students as Youth Champions and complete a Youth Champion workshop (see Youth Champion Workshop sample in the Youth Wellness Initiatives toolkit in Folder 4 – Training).
  4. Youth Champions and adult ally lead(s) work together to fill out the workplan template and submit the application form by February 28, 2024.

Successful applicants will receive a letter of agreement by March 8, 2024. The funding will be sent to your school board once the letter of agreement has been signed. We will not be asking for receipts, but we do require the outcomes section in the workplan template to be completed and submitted by June 7, 2024.

Important dates:

  • Adult ally leads orientation/refresher by February 9, 2024
  • Application deadline February 28, 2024  
  • Letter of agreement and funding allocation to successful applicants by March 8, 2024
  • Reporting timelines to the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) June 7, 2024