Diamond Valley elementary students are spreading a positive message, one cup at a time.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and students from C. Ian McLaren School are taking part in a “Sleeve the Stigma” positive mental health campaign.
For the campaign, kindergarten to Grade 6 students have been decorating coffee sleeves with positive messages to promote conversations about mental health.
The sleeves will be handed out with drinks purchased from The Westwood and Black Sheep Coffee Co. over the next week or so, said Foothills School Division wellness coach Cortney Vines.
Vines works to build mental health capacity through a Minds Matter program in the school division.
She said the goal of the Sleeve the Stigma campaign is to not only promote conversations within Diamond Valley and the Foothills region, but to keep those conversations going throughout the year.
"It's important to talk about our mental health and to have open conversations within our schools and community," Vines said.
"When we keep the conversation open, it helps break the stigma attached to the words mental health."
Vines pointed to statistics that say one-in-four Canadians will experience mental illness or mental health issues in their lifetime.
Students dropped off the first batch of sleeves on May 3.