Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Training: Mental Health Stigma

Through community engagement activities the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) invited FCHI to become a sector partner for ICE trainings with Specialist High Skills Major (SHMS) students from the Peel District School Board, in the health and wellness industry stream. The ICE training was developed by The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and focuses on teaching students the skills of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship through real life challenges that have been designed by sector partners.

Prior to the training the sector partner is asked to co-design a “challenge question” from their industry or field that the students focus on throughout the session. For this particular project the sector challenge question emerged from FCHI community engagement activities where mental health and stigmatization were identified as key challenges needing to be addressed in Peel. FCHI team members co-facilitated training sessions on February 18, 2020 and March 10 2020 with an EveryMind Youth Engagement Coordinator and a TRCA staff member. The training was an exciting opportunity to engage youth in the design of potential resources, supports and initiatives that focus on mental health and well-being for youth and families in their community. FCHI will continue to collaborate with PCC and TRCA to facilitate training sessions in the future as well as to explore possibilities for applying the ideas that came out of the spring 2020 session.

PARTNERHSHIPS: Peel District School Board, EveryMind, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority