Innovative teepee room in high school offers students a mental health refuge – Peace River Record Gazette

January 8, 2019

When a group of students at Kainai High School came up with the idea for a teepee room, the aim of the space was to provide “a home away from home.”

Grade 12 student Karsen Black Water said that’s exactly how it has turned out, with the student-built structure providing a refuge where students can talk to an elder or simply relax.

The concept of the room, which works in conjunction with the school’s elders-in-residence program, was the result of student participation in a summit in Calgary through the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Headstrong program.

The one-day summits bring students from different schools together to learn from speakers who share their stories of recovery. The youth participants then design their own activities and events, with the aim of reducing stigma and becoming mental health champions in their schools.

Read More: https://www.prrecordgazette.com/news/local-news/kainai-students-take-the-lead-on-mental-health-through-headstrong-program/wcm/7ea361e4-063f-4321-ba78-c5852e127df1