Our commitment to the Ontario Curriculum
We know that schools have their hands full. That’s why the Youth Resiliency Project not only benefits students at your school, but also takes the load off staff programming by fulfilling a large portion of the Ontario Health Curriculum at each grade level. Click on the dropdown menus below to see which Learning Skills our talks cover.
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Our middle school assemblies cover the following Learning Skills appointed for students in grades 6 through 8:
A1.1 apply skills that help them identify and manage emotions as they participate in learning experiences in health and physical education, in order to improve their ability to express their own feelings and understand and respond to the feelings of others
A1.2 apply skills that help them to recognize sources of stress and to cope with challenges, including help-seeking behaviours, as they participate in learning experiences in health and physical education, in order to support the development of personal resilience
A1.3 apply skills that help them develop habits of mind that support positive motivation and perseverance as they participate in learning experiences in health and physical education, in order to promote a sense of optimism and hope
A1.4 apply skills that help them build relationships, develop empathy, and communicate with others as they participate in learning experiences in health and physical education, in order to support healthy relationships, a sense of belonging, and respect for diversity
A1.5 apply skills that help them develop self-awareness and self-confidence as they participate in learning experiences in health and physical education, in order to support the development of a sense of identity and a sense of belonging
A1.6 apply skills that help them think critically and creatively as they participate in learning experiences in health and physical education, in order to support making connections, analyzing, evaluating, problem solving, and decision making
Additionally, middle school assemblies also cover the following grade-specific learning skills:
Grade 6:
D1.1 Benefits of inclusion, respect, and acceptance
D1.5 Connecting thoughts, emotions, and actions
D2.1 Influences on healthy eating
D2.3 Safe and positive social interaction, conflict management
Grade 7:
D1.6 Mental health, mental illness
D2.2 Impact of bullying / harassment
Grade 8:
D1.5 Gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, self-concept
D2.3 Decision making considerations and skills
D2.4 Routines and habits for mental health
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Our high school assemblies cover the following learning skills from each grade’s curriculum:
Grade 9:
C1.2 Technology – benefits and risks, safe use [IS, CT]
C1.5 Factors affecting gender identity and sexual orientation; supports [PS]
C2.2 Relationships – skills and strategies [PS, IS]
C3.2 Mental health concerns – warning signs and responses [PS, IS]
C3.4 Social influences; decision-making, communication skills [IS, CT]
Grade 10:
C1.1 Mental health – factors that enhance [PS, IS]
C3.4 Misconceptions relating to sexuality [CT]
C3.5 Relationships – effects on self and others [PS, IS, CT]
Grade 11:
C1.3 Suicide – warning signs and prevention strategies [IS]
C1.4 Mental illness, addictions – causes, manifestations, and effects on personal health and well-being
C3.1 Current issues related to food and/or nutrition [CT]
C3.4 Skills for dealing with stressful situations [PS, IS]
C3.5 Mental illness – reducing stigma [PS, IS, CT]
Grade 12:
C1.3 Skills and strategies for evolving relationships [PS, IS, CT]
C3.4 Bias and stereotyping in media portrayal of relationships [CT]
Ontario Booking Procedure
Student Mental Health Ontario (SMH-ON) has outlined a protocol for booking speakers. All decisions to host a speaker are done on a school-by-school basis. We have streamlined this process by outlining the necessary steps and providing relevant information to answer your questions.
Step 1. Review the SHM-ON Decision Support Tool (Appendix C) with your principal, guidance counsellor / mental health staff member, and any other relevant staff.
Please refer to the adjacent SMH-ON Decision Support Tool Guide for detailed support with each question on the Decision Support Tool.
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How does this align with our board/school improvement plan? How does this align with the board mental health strategy?
We serve as a catalyst to the vital learning already occurring within Ontario schools. The dropdown list above connects our subject material to multiple learning skills mandated by the Ontario Health Curriculum across all relevant grade levels.
What tier of support does this address: Tier 1 (promotion), Tier 2 (prevention) or Tier 3 (intervention)? Are other programs already in place that meet the same goals/objectives?
According to School Mental Health Ontario, our talks are considered Tier 1 (promotion).
Is the content of the presentation culturally responsive and relevant to the school community?
Our talks are designed through an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens. Conversations around representation are an important part of popular and social media literacy. We assess the demographics of each school and individually tailor our talks to ensure that students see themselves in the content we share, both in the area of critical media literacy and healthy role models.
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What are the professional qualifications of the presenter/author/video/campaign? For presenters, have references been supplied and vetted? Are their social media accounts benign?
Brie Mathers has been working in the field with adolescent girls for thirty years. Love the Skin You’re In has reached over 130,000 students worldwide with consistently positive feedback. In 2019, she launched the Girls Resiliency Education Fund in partnership with the Center for Partnership Systems and the Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation. Brie has partnered with Governor General Award winner Ashanti Branch, YWCA Power of Being a Girl, One Billion Rising, and Stanford’s Franchise for Humanity Conference. Our new offering, A Breath of Fresh Air, has been offered at ten school sites across British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec with wonderful outcomes. Click here to learn more about our impact.
Our team would be happy to review slidedecks with you during our virtual meeting (see step 2).
Our social media accounts are benign, non-confrontational and only serve to amplify our vital message. Given social media’s impacts on young women, Brie is no longer very active on Instagram. The history of her work can best be viewed on YouTube.
Is this Evidenced-Based or Evidence-Informed?
Our talks are rooted in evidence-based science from a variety of disciplines including mental well-being, sociology, Western culture, and gender studies.
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Have we avoided Mondays, Fridays and end of the day?
We are flexible and happy to work with your school’s schedule. We recommend hosting talks late morning or after lunch for maximum audience attention. Please identify some potential dates to propose at our virtual meeting in step 2.
If we have a specific mental illness topic, are we providing this in small groups?
Our talks cover mental health on a general scale and are appropriate for a school-wide audience. We do not cover a specific mental illness topic.
Are we following best practice guidelines for talking with students about suicide?
Our talks are trauma informed and Brie is suicide prevention trained. We do not mention suicide in our middle school assemblies. The boys talk provides a trigger warning before briefly discussing suicide in a professional sense. This can be omitted upon request, though we do not recommend that as suicide prevention research encourages dialogue as a prevention tool.
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How will parents/caregivers be informed?
Here is a sample email to send to parents/caregivers regarding our assemblies.
Have we considered holding the event when there are mental health professionals on site (either in-house or community partners)?
We recommend a guidance counsellor or wellness staff member be present in the room during our assemblies. At the minimum, we require 2 staff members to be present during the presentation.
How will we handle student distress and/or disclosures?
We take student disclosures very seriously. If a student discloses any harm or intended harm to themselves or others, we immediately report to the school with all relevant information.
How will we let students and families know where they can seek help at school and in the community?
We are committed to helping young people access support in their local communities. We would be happy to work in partnership with your school in advance to identify the best local resources for youth.
How will we let staff know where to find supports if they are triggered emotionally by the content?
It is the responsibility of the school to provide these resources as well.
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Has staff received training/been informed of their role and what is expected of them?
Staff only need to be present at our talks and do not need specific training.
Do we have champions to ensure that there will be follow-up and on-going activities?
Our talks closely align with multiple Learning Skills from Ontario’s Health Curriculum. As Physical Education and Health staff continue their yearly programming, they will naturally cover the same topics we cover in our assemblies. Our intention is that by “breaking the ice”, and bringing more light to the importance of talking about mental health, educators will feel supported and empowered as they continue these conversations in their classrooms.
What follow-up activities are planned to embed the learning acquired from the presentation?
Following each assembly, each student is invited to write their thoughts on a feedback card. This gives students the opportunity to self-reflect and engage with their thoughts and feelings in relation to the message shared onstage.
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There is a cost associated with the assemblies. We would be happy to learn more about your school’s financial needs during our virtual meeting (see step 2).