It’s Back to School Across Ontario and Jack.org Has Launched a New Resource

Jack.org launches the Educator Hub, a new resource to support teachers in bringing vital mental health education to their students this fall

TORONTO, Sept. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In response to the growing need for comprehensive mental health education for young people, Jack.org is launching its groundbreaking Educator Hub (edHUB), a free library of classroom-ready mental health lesson plans and activities for educators. This new offering empowers high school teachers with the resources to easily bring mental health learning to their classrooms to help safeguard the health and wellbeing of their students.

One out of every five young people will experience a mental health disorder but many of them lack the essential mental health education that would help them get the support they need. Jack.org recognizes the role that education systems play in ensuring young people have access to quality information about mental health and struggle early on.

“Teachers are uniquely positioned to have a positive impact on the lives of their students,” says Rowena Pinto, Jack.org President and CEO. “They are also some of their students’ best allies. I am thrilled that the Educator Hub provides them with a safe and effective way to teach students their mental health ABCs and build the foundational mental health literacy young people need to thrive.”

“Now more than ever, young people need our support in developing their mental health literacy,” says the Honourable Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health. “Initiatives like this one help empower youth to advocate for their own wellbeing and know when to reach out to others for help.”

With the launch of the Educator Hub, Jack.org aims to work in tandem with educators towards a common goal: ensuring that young people have the education they need to protect their own mental health and that of their friends and classmates, both now and into the future.

All of the educators involved in reviewing the Educator Hub before its launch agreed or strongly agreed that the Hub addresses the curriculum needs of health and physical education teachers. “As a teacher, this takes away a lot of the planning,” said one of the educators. “It’s got everything I need.”

The resource includes youth-friendly lessons on recognizing signs of mental health struggle, supporting friends and classmates, reaching out for professional support, and the importance of self-care — all in alignment with Ontario curriculum requirements. It also includes guides for educators to use to brush up on their own mental health knowledge and build a safe classroom environment for mental health discussion. The Hub is supported through a financial contribution from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

To access the Jack.org Educator Hub, please visit jack.org/edHUB.

About Jack.org
Jack.org is a Canadian charity that works in partnership with young people to build communities and systems that support youth mental health. Through its programs, young people gain access to the knowledge, skills, and platform they need to build their mental health literacy, support their peers, build networks of belonging, and influence systems that are meant to support their wellbeing. Its goal is to build a world where young people are mentally healthy, and where distress becomes a thing of the past.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Danielle Kinahan (she/her)
Senior Manager, Communications and Media
media@jack.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c167997f-113a-416a-bff7-bf3defe4981b