Maree Rodriguez, ©UWinnipeg
Mental health is an issue that not everyone feels comfortable talking about. This however is not the case for seven UWinnipeg students who want to engage others in this important conversation to help end the stigma. They were selected from campuses across Canada to be delegates for the Jack Summit (JS) in Toronto, ON.
The UWinnipeg delegation heads to Toronto early next month to participate in Canada’s largest youth-led national summit on mental health. Delegates will participate in skill-building and advocacy workshops, share ideas and large-scale strategies, and learn from each other to elevate their advocacy in their home communities regarding mental health.
Maree Rodriguez is completing a developmental studies and conflict resolution degree at UWinnipeg and is a UWinnipeg co-collaboration leader with the Health and Wellness Peer Educators (HWPE) program on campus, a chapter of Jack.org. She assists in working with co-ordinating mental health activities with other student groups on campus. Rodriguez noted that her HWPE colleagues do this work and advocacy because they are passionate about promoting mental health and wellness, and creating dialogue around mental health on campus and in the community.
The HWPE recently organized a series of events for UWinnipeg’s Bell Let’s Talk Day, as part of Thrive Week. For information on the group visit UWinnipeg Health & Wellness Peer Educators.
Others joining Rodriguez are Rachel Beazley (education), Brittney Ford (developmental studies and criminal justice), Rebekah Johnson (education), Quiana Kumar (pre-medicine), Aimee Schwager (psychology, Honours), and Bryan Young (education).
Jack.org provides mental health education, leadership training, and ongoing mentorship to 2,500 young leaders aged 15-24 across Canada. They work to ensure that young people are comfortable talking about their mental health and have the skills they need to identify and breakdown barriers to positive mental health in their communities. Visit jack.org for more information.
