Bringing in an outside speaker or organization to speak to your school or class can be part of an overall approach to improving student's mental health literacy. However, helping young people develop their knowledge and skills related to mental health and substance use can be best accomplished by engaging students in thoughtful discussions, with the goal of encouraging students to think critically about their current beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours. This conversation is often best facilitated by caring adults who connect with students regularly (like teachers or counsellors in the school).

There are a number of resources and guides that you can use to facilitate these types of conversations in your school environment, including the ones featured below. 

Additional resources, curriculum, and toolkits for educators can be found in the Mental Health Resources to use in the Classroom section. 

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Stop Wondering, Start Knowing: A Mental Health Video Resource for Schools

BC Children's Hospital

A video resource and facilitation guide to help students and educators understand the early signs of mental health challenges and the resources available for support. 

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Cycles - Video & Facilitator's Guide

Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research

Film-based resource that encourages teens to talk openly and honestly about why some young people use cannabis (marijuana). It also has a facilitator’s guide with lesson plans, teaching tips, student handouts and quick facts about cannabis.

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iMinds

Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research

iMinds is a health education resource for grades 6-10 that aims to help students maximize their drug literacy – the knowledge and skills they need to survive and thrive in a world where drug use is common.

If you are interested in a speaker or presentation on a particular mental health topic, see the list below for some speakers/workshops that may be available to speak at your school. These should be used as part of a broader strategy for supporting student mental health and wellness in your school community. For more information on these speakers/workshops, or if you are looking for a speaker or workshop on a topic not found below, please contact us and we would be happy to assist you. 

• Jack.org: Jack Talks 

  • Jack talks are mental health presentations delivered by young people to young people across Canada. Trained and certified youth speakers use the power of personal stories and mental health education to inspire, engage, educate and equip young people to look out for themselves and their peers. Jack Talks can be booked for schools, community groups, or anywhere youth aged 15-24 gather. 

• Crisis Centre Workshops for Youth

  • The Crisis Centre offers wellness workshops for schools and youth groups on a number of topics, including mindfulness, stress management, self-care and suicideTALK.

• Jessie's Legacy School Workshops

  • Jessie's Legacy has developed a workshop for schools across the lower mainland that addresses eating disorders and disordered eating, media awareness, resiliency skills, and weight and shape bias. This presentation can be content-specific, and is for grades 6 - 12.

• Qmunity: Pridespeaks

  • Interactive presentations for and by youth to provide accurate, non-judgmental information about sexual orientation, gender identity and stopping bullying. Workshops are available across the lower mainland for grades K - 12; content will differ depending on the grade level and topic chosen. 

• Reach out Psychosis

  • Available across BC, this award-winning show mixes music and brain science to educate young people and their teachers about psychosis. Free of charge for secondary schools in BC. For grades 10-12 with audience of 300 and more.