Resilient Youth Peer-led Workshops

Teens are dealing with an influx of overwhelming experiences without the resources to process them effectively.

By the age of 25, approximately 1 in 5 young people will be diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

Currently, more than 1.25 million youth require mental health support.

Often, presentations on mental health feel scripted or disconnected from the reality of being a teenager right now. Educators leave wondering whether anything meaningful actually landed.

Students need support that feels relevant to their life, from someone they can trust.

Our peer-led workshops are led by our trained youth leader and co-founder, Sophia Rae.

She shares about her personal struggles and the tools she's tested.
Simply put, these are mental health strategies that actually work!

Our impact:

Over 500 toolbooks distributed to students across Canada.

Over 3000 students directly reached through our events and presentations.

10 + community partners and sponsors of this work.

Resilient Youth made podium placement on a national stage at the Enactus Pitch Competition - two years in a row!

Each Peer to Peer presentation follows 3 practical steps:

1

Step 1: Real Stories

Students hear honest, relatable stories from our youth leader Sophia Rae, who understands the realities of growing up in today’s world. This helps break down stigma and creates immediate connection and trust.

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Step 2: Practical Tools

Participants are introduced to evidence-informed resilience tools grounded in neuroscience, mental health research, mindfulness, and lived experience that can be applied in everyday life.

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Step 3: Build Your Toolbox

Students are invited to reflect, ask questions, and personalize the strategies that resonate most with them through interactive discussions and take-home resources.

BOOK NOW

Our Toolbooks

Pocket-sized cards filled with evidence-based resilience strategies that clip onto students’ backpacks for accessible support.

Why our toolbooks are unique:

Tactile support: Our ToolBooks give young people immediate, tangible tools they can reach for in real life.
Evidence-based: Each strategy is proven to support youth resilience
Versatile: From grounding exercises to emotional regulation techniques, the cards provide practical strategies for a wide range of situations.

The toolbooks

Our zines:

Our zines pt 2

These pocket book zines were created with the Community Development Faculty at Acadia University to help youth stay engaged with the material during our presentations.

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Personal Reflection
Encourages youth to connect key concepts to their own experiences and emotions.

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Guided Activities
Includes prompts and exercises students can follow throughout the presentation.

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Creative Regulation
Colouring elements on the pages provide a calming, hands-on way for students to stay present and focused.

Word on the Street:

Student
★★★★★

I’ve gone through a lot in the past, so I loved having Sophia come in and open up about her own experiences. It really helped me.

Student
★★★★★

One of my friends passed away really suddenly from stage 4 brain cancer, and even though it’s been around two years, it’s still hard to think about. This presentation really helped me learn how to cope with that and even deal with school struggles. 🙂

Student
★★★★★

I thought this presentation was great. It helped me think about things I had either pushed down or things I had never thought about before, and I really enjoyed it!

Student
★★★★★

This presentation was phenomenal, genuinely one of the best mental health presentations I’ve ever listened to. I felt like I could relate to everything she was saying.

We are proud to be supported by Enactus Acadia.

Our wonderful student volunteers help us lead events in high schools and university campuses across Canada.

Our team

Our Recharge Events: Recharge the Body and Mind

Hosted on campuses and within school communities, these events combine activities such as candlelit yoga, mindfulness, music, interactive art, and community meals to create a calming, supportive environment for youth.

Learn how you can host a recharge event at your school or organization!