Stettler’s HEART program has been recognized provincially as a co-winner of the Friends of Education award.
HEART project coordinator Devon McMann said the program is part of a provincial mental-health capacity building strategy that involves 37 projects.
The Alberta School Boards Association saluted HEART, which stands for “Healthy Empowered and Resilient Teams.”
The award — an engraved brass school bell — is now in Stettler’s hands, as it’s circulated among winners.
The Clearview School Division supervises the local HEART project, which receives funding from Alberta Health Services.
At the ASBA meeting in Edmonton, Stettler’s HEART program was described as “a model of collaborative leadership at the community and provincial levels,” McMann said.
He said the program teaches students relaxation skills and how to reduce anxiety and depression. Anti-bullying projects are part of the mix.
“Students who feel better about themselves become better learners,” McMann said.