The Prince George Youth Action Team is reaching out to northern communities to discuss mental health.
The group is holding the first ever Northern Balancing Our Minds Youth Summit in May, similar to the annual, destigmatizing event in Vancouver.
Team member Jillian Hooper hopes this event will create a legacy and kick start an emotional conversation.
“We don’t like to talk about mental health. We’re all about physical health and addressing those issues but not so much about the issues that we hide behind. We have this stigma surrounding mental health and we’re trying to get that stigma lifted.”
Another team member, Myles Mattila, knows that resources in the north aren’t as abundant as in the Lower Mainland, especially in smaller rural communities. Because of this, he’s inviting all northern students to the event.
“We’re hoping to inspire local communities and high schools that they can start their own initiatives and make sure there’s not so much stigma around mental health. It’s okay to talk about mental health and let people know that they’re not alone.”
The day-long event is on May 24th, registration opens on April 1st.
