By Mitchell Clarke
Schools across Cardinia and Casey are being encouraged to do their part in responding to the mental health crisis.
Just under half of Australian children have reported concern for their mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic, citing heightened levels of loneliness and isolation, according to figures from Reach Out.
In a bid to combat to the concerning statistic, Peer Support Australia’s annual ‘Talk-and-Walk-a-Thon’ has returned, encouraging students to foster stronger relationships with their peers.
The purpose of the walkathon is to encourage communication and exercise, which are vital building blocks towards good mental health.
During the event, students are encouraged to reach out by talking to their peers and developing new friendships and strengthening their relationships.
Peer Support Australia CEO Greg Cantwell said the event was now more important than ever.
He said after a year of social distancing and disruption, building relationships in school was “much needed”.
“Our program has always been important but the mental health effects on school-aged children during Covid-19 have been even more prominent this year,” Mr Cantwell said.
“This year has been an unsettling time for students and teachers alike.
“Some children and young people are still experiencing disruption to their routine and usual school rituals such as graduations and other celebrations.
“Providing COVID-safe experiences for students to reconnect with their school community is critical for the mental health and wellbeing of our young people.”
With Victorian schools still experiencing disruptions, which are planned to last throughout the remainder of 2020, this year’s Talk-and-Walk-a-Thon is designed to be flexible and adaptable to whatever format schools are currently operating.
“The great thing about the Talk-and-Walk-a-Thon is how it caters to the different needs of students and schools regardless of whether they are at school or a mixture of school based and remote learning” Mr Cantwell said.
“We are especially encouraging schools that are recommencing in-person teaching to use the Talkand-Walk-a-Thon as an opportunity for students to reconnect, while remote learning students can use the talking points included in our toolkit to start online conversations.”
The 2020 event coincides with National Mental Health Month this October. Peer Support Australia is encouraging schools around the nation to participate on a day of their choice throughout the month as a way to promote mental health and wellbeing.
The format of the event is designed to be flexible, with the walk’s distance, location and participating year levels able to be adapted to suit each school’s needs.
Participation is free and schools can register to participate by heading to www.peersupport.edu.au.
Registered schools will receive a Talk-and-Walk-a-Thon toolkit.
