SUZI FRIESEN & CRAIG HEISINGER WITH PROJECT 11 STUDENTS
ERIC COMRIE WITH A PROJECT 11 STUDENT MARK STUART WITH A PROJECT 11 CLASS
“ We like to think of this project in terms of mental wellness, as opposed to mental illness,” said Green.“ We’ re helping students become comfortable to talk about the subject, a subject that is often difficult for young people to open up about. I mean, it’ s tough to get kids to talk about mental health issues, but when you do it, we’ ve found that the students become a community and it’ s quite impactful.”
According to mental health experts, on average, one in five Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness in their lifetimes. As a result, mental illness will indirectly affect many more Canadians through a family member, friend or colleague. The stigma and sometimes discrimination that is attached to mental illness can present a serious barrier, not only to diagnosis and treatment, but also to acceptance in the community.
Part of the Project 11 approach for students is to incorporate both lessons and activities that address physical, as well as mental health issues. Some examples of the daily activities that teachers can access and incorporate into their classes include yoga, aboriginal dancing, fun with fitness, music and rhythm, art energy, laughing yoga, relaxation techniques and even fun with food.
It’ s an incredible program and it all begin with an idea, shortly after a tragedy, in the summer of 2011.
“ Back in 2011, the Winnipeg Jets organization lost a very valuable player to us,” said Friesen, during an interview for the Project 11 video( http:// y2u. be / Ot4O55yBsUw).
“ His name was Rick Rypien and Rick really loved working with kids. In the off-season, he operated a hockey camp back home and loved being on the ice with the kids and he always said to Zinger( Jets assistant general manager Craig Heisinger), that he didn’ t want kids to suffer the way he had.”
Rypien struggled with clinical depression throughout his life and on Aug. 15, 2011, a month and a half after he had signed with the Jets, Rypien was found dead in his Alberta home. It was an incident that struck deeply at the heart and soul of every member of the Jets organization, but it might have affected Heisinger more than anyone else.
“ I think the logical step to honouring Rick was Project 11,” said Heisinger during the Project 11 video.“ Mostly because of his devotion to kids.
“ What you’ re trying to do is remove the stigma of mental illness. You’ re trying to look at it just like any other injury, whether it’ s a schoolyard sprained ankle or a broken arm. There is just no cast, just no band-aid.”
Thanks to a collective effort of many this popular educational program has really taken off.
“ Within each grade, we have 15 mental health lessons,” said Green.“ There are 15 video-taped lessons that are easy for the teachers to use and Mark Stuart of the Jets is in all the videos. He answers questions based on the lessons.