One of the student hosts for last week's virtual symposium on mental health issues facing students describes the event as a huge success.
Grade eleven student, Emma Goetz, says over 250 students sat in on the event and she says one of the highlights for her was the opportunity to speak directly with Education Minister, Stephen Lecce and her message to him was very clear.
"Huron and Perth County just don't have enough resources," Goetz said. "There's a lack of resources in our rural area that we live in, unlike the GTA or up in Ottawa. We can't just walk down the street and there's a resource we can access for mental health."
Goetz says there a lot of online resources to help students deal with mental health issues, but there's also a stigma involved in using those resources and that's discouraging some people from using them.
"We reached out to a lot of students," she said. "We saw a lot of them connecting and engaging in activities and so on, brainstorming ideas to initiate activities in each and every school, so it was amazing."
Avon Maitland Superintendent for Mental Health and Well-being, Jodie Baker, says one that that made this event so significant was the research gathered from last year's symposium, so this year's YOU MATTER 2 symposium was designed by students for students.