In addition to hosting a Bell’s Let’s Talk kiosk on-campus recently Champlain College partnered with other local CEGEPs and Colleges to go the extra mile to assure marginalized students that it’s okay to ask for help: it’s a sign of strength, not weakness. Champlain College St-Lambert, Heritage College, John Abbott College, Marianopolis, Vanier, Dawson, and the QASAP Intercollegiate, collaborated to make a video, created by Arielle Legault, a Champlain College Student Leader, to reassure struggling students that they are not alone. “It is a powerful message for students, by students”, said Champlain College’s David Persons, who works closely with his school’s student leadership team. “It came together quickly following an intercollegiate meeting last week. It is the first time all of these institutions have partnered to discuss mental health on such a large scale.” The goal of the video is for students to have a voice, to open the lines of communication and take away the stigma of mental health. Stress, anxiety and challenging “weak”-ness were the three major themes the team wanted to address and getting the message out—“You are not alone”—was paramount. “We want to encourage students to reach out, ask for help, talk about their challenges and step away from the fear of being perceived as “weak”, a notion that discourages them from seeking help and guidance when they need it most. We need to educate our youth and I think this video illustrates how the students have really stepped up their game in that area this year!” Video Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_YP4iz1Ujc
