BURN BRIGHT, NOT OUT
A+ Wellness is a non-profit organization committed to making students’ mental health a priority. We advocate for a community of learners who can learn and strive for success, while also having the mental health support they deserve. Let's make a change and support the future, whether it's for you, your friends, your family, or your community.
The Issue
As of recently, suicide is the second-highest cause of mortality amongst Canadian children and teenagers aged 5 to 24. According to Myles Ahead, an estimated 50% of Canadian adolescents miss school due to anxiety, and youth with mental health issues are more than 25% more likely to struggle academically. There are several reasons why these students' mental health is deteriorating, including school-related stress, the pandemic, personal and family issues, bullying, and so on. Even so, our schools do not provide adequate mental health education and support. According to a February 2023 article on thestar.com, a study of principals at over a thousand primary and secondary schools across Ontario discovered that 91% of schools needed mental health support and assistance from psychologists, social workers, or other professionals. We cannot teach children calculus or science while they feel as though their entire world is collapsing; hence, action must be taken.
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Our Cause
Our issue is students' mental health. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, students' mental health has been rapidly declining. As we are all students in grade ten, we feel more burnt out, stressed, and overwhelmed than ever. Friends, family, and institutions are contributing to unrealistic academic standards, as well as teachers constantly assigning tests and assignments. While our workloads keep piling up, our mental health is dropping. Teenagers should be experiencing a low-stress lifestyle instead of dealing with excessive homework which keeps them up until two in the morning. Additionally, there are a lot of stigmas associated with teen mental health, and teenagers feel discouraged to approach their friends, family members, and teachers with their problems in fear of judgment. We want to change this and prevent it from worsening.
“Burn bright, not out.” With stress levels continuing to rise, our vision is to spread awareness for mental health and promote healthy well-being in schools as we focus on helping students cope with the ongoing stress of school work and stress at home. These examples are in turn declining our mental health. Our company, A+ Wellness focuses on promoting healthy mental being by advocating for various related services such as meditation or lessons, yoga classes, workshops, and safe spaces to feel at home. We also promote including mental health more frequently in our school’s curriculum. Lastly, we'd like to see more funding be put into our schools' mental health services and support.
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Get Involved
We are a group of high school students who have seen and personally experienced the poor mental health of students at school as well as the absence of adequate resources and assistance. We can persuade our government to recognize the significance and urgency of this problem with your support and via your signatures. Let us work together to make a difference and support the future, whether for you, your friends, your family, or your community.