World Suicide Prevention Day
Focuses on raising awareness about suicide prevention.
Activities:
Mental health workshops: Teach coping strategies and resilience.
Support circles: Provide spaces for open discussions. Have students write down or draw people and places they can go for help when feeling overwhelmed.
Resource sharing: Distribute information on where to seek help.
Kindness Jars: Have students write anonymous messages of encouragement, survival or hope on slips of paper. These can be left in form rooms for students to read when needed.
Gym Access: Open the gym after school and invite students to build health habits
Learn A New Skill: Learning a new skill can be a great coping strategy so ask staff if they can share any skills with students during the group.
School-wide Awareness:
Moment of silence to honour lives lost.
Display helpline numbers and support services
Share information and organisations on social media
Breakfast Morning: Invite students in for a hot chocolate or board games morning to encourage open conversations, connection and support in a relaxed setting. While suicide affects people of all genders, research shows that men are at a higher risk, often due to stigma around speaking up or seeking help. This breakfast would be an opportunity to show that no one is alone, and that it's okay to talk and lean on one another. Consider having staff or local organisations come in to offer support and informal chats with students. Also consider having groups with conversation cards to prompt discussions amongst the students.
Introduce a letter box or advertise any current services where students can report concerns relating to mental health
Social media posts sharing mental health organisations.