Mental Health Awareness Tours in Schools
Most primary and secondary schools have reported an increase in suicide cases among students and teachers. Young people lack safe environments where they can receive support for their mental health, and the same challenge applies to teachers. Teasing, bullying, and students failing in class due to lack of school materials have greatly contributed to stress and anxiety. For teachers, stigma remains the main factor affecting their mental health. As Scouts, we have chosen not to stay silent.
We trained Mental Health Ambassadors through the "It's Okay Not to Be Okay" initiative to lead mental health tours in schools.
These ambassadors visited 95 schools, reaching out to students and teachers. They shared skills and knowledge on how to create safe environments for discussing mental health issues, provided coping mechanisms, and taught ways to stay away from thoughts of suicide.
They also promoted the message of being there for one another.
I learned that creating safe environments where students and teachers can openly talk about their feelings reduces stigma and encourages people to seek help early. Training ambassadors and taking mental health tours to schools showed us that knowledge is power. When people understand signs, symptoms, and coping mechanisms, they are better equipped to support each other.
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