Uptowne should look more colourful than ever May 2-8 as schoolchildren literally mark the week by creating chalk art about mental health and wellness in front of stores there.
Chinook's Edge School Division mental health program leader Raelynn Notley announced plans for that project during an Uptowne Olds Committee meeting.
The project is part of the Mental Health Week's Let's Talk About It campaign.
Notley told the committee she had made arrangements for students from different schools in the community to come to Uptowne during that week to write or draw different positive messages about mental health.
“It's not about mental illness, it's about the promotion of mental health and wellness,” Notley said. “It's just a visual thing for people to connect to as they're walking around the different areas in town.”
Notley said she will come by with the students and will drop off a Mental Health Week poster, “just to kind of give a little bit of information for people if they're asking about it.”
“If you want to participate as well and you want to do your own thing, I have some chalk and I'm more than willing to share. I think it's kind of a fun activity to have adults involved as well,” Notley said.
She predicted students will only be in the area for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, because in addition to the time they spend doing their creations, it will also take time for them to go to and from their respective schools.
“But I just wanted to kind of give you guys a heads-up as to why there's going be kids milling around,” she said with a laugh, adding they will not be coming in to bother anyone and will be there “with a purpose in mind.”
“The intent is that we will be taking pictures of the students while they're doing this. We sort of called it like a ‘wellfie.' Rather than a selfie, we're going to be taking pictures of them promoting wellness in the community,” Notley said.
“We're really hoping it's nice out. If it rains, I don't know what our backup plan will be. We have the full week, so we might just have to shuffle things around,” she said.
“The kids are really excited about it. We've been working on some things that they can say.”
Notley noted the slogan they'll be utilizing is Mental Health Matters.
“Our focus was really to bring the kids to the Uptowne location and really brighten up the sidewalks there,” she said.
"It's not about mental illness, it's about the promotion of mental health and wellness." RAELYNN NOTLEYCHINOOK'S EDGE SCHOOL DIVISION MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM LEADER
