FREDERICTON (GNB) – The 12th annual Ring A Bell campaign takes place Nov. 28-Dec. 2.

“Supporting the mental health and well-being of our students is an important part of helping them succeed,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Bill Hogan. “Our students do not check the life they have outside the classroom at the door when they arrive at school, so it is important to make sure they have the resources they need to feel safe, welcomed and supported. This annual campaign plays an important role in facilitating important conversations about mental health and reducing stigma.”

Co-ordinated jointly by Dots NB / Partners for Youth Inc. and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, the goal of the campaign is to raise awareness and inspire youth, their families and communities to take positive action in support of mental health.

The theme for the 2022 campaign is the importance of community.

“Community is a place to grow, a place to learn, a place to connect and place to share. We gain our strength from strong communities, and it is critical that youth voice be centred in these community conversations around youth mental health,” said Cindy Miles, director of community and government partnerships for Partners for Youth. “Continuing dialogue, education and awareness are areas that have been identified by the New Brunswick Youth Council as priorities. Opportunities like the Ring A Bell Campaign are a way communities can come together to challenge the stigma that still exists and to let every young person know that they are not alone and that it is brave to ask for help.”

During the campaign, mental health lesson plans and activities will be used in classrooms across the province. This awareness effort will culminate as students in kindergarten through Grade 8 provincewide are invited to show their support by ringing bells for one minute over Dec 1-2. Ringing bells is meant to draw attention to the importance of ensuring the mental health needs of children are met and their voices are heard.

This year, Sunbury West School in Fredericton Junction will host the provincial bell-ringing ceremony.

“On Dec. 1, our students and staff as well as the entire province, will ring bells to raise awareness around youth mental health,” said school principal Heather Lyons. “We join together, united, providing all students the opportunity to have their voices heard, to keep the conversations going as we work together to improve their daily lives. As a community that circles around our children, our goal is to provide our students with a safe space where they feel comfortable to share their stories and to never feel alone.”

Along with classroom activities and the bell ringing event, schools can submit videos, poems, posters or songs, which will be shared on multiple social media platforms. A prize of $250 will be awarded to an elementary and middle school with submissions chosen by the New Brunswick Youth Council. More information on how to participate is available on the Partners for Youth website.

Providing students with meaningful learning and life experiences to support good physical and mental health is one of the goals set out in the government’s 10-year education plans.