Training Youth to Tackle the Transition to Postsecondary Education – NEW MHIF

As students progress from high school to post-secondary education, they may feel unprepared and overwhelmed.  A pilot project was launched in 2012 by Lambton College using a youth engagement model leveraging the experiences of college and university students to open the discussion of the forthcoming changes and challenges of post-secondary life.

With assistance from the MHIF, the project was expanded in 2015-2017. In this proactive preparedness training program, Grade 12 students were engaged at three strategic points over their academic year and given practical life skills and coping strategies to manage this transition. Using a pre-test, post-test design, we found statistically significant results showing an improvement in students’ understanding of mental health, the rating of their own mental health, ability to cope with stress, and confidence leaving high school. We also reduced students’ reports of feeling overwhelmed. We are now in year two of a longitudinal study, following the students who graduated in 2017 and assessing the impact of the Tension to Triumph project over time.

The curriculum continues to be delivered to high school students in our region. If you would like access to our comprehensive toolkit, we’d be happy to share it with you: charlene.mahon@lambtoncollege.ca

Testimonials

I enjoyed these presentations. It helped me to figure out what I need to do and accomplish for next year. Also I liked hearing the stories of the presenters. It made me feel more comfortable heading off to school next year and now I know it is normal to struggle.

Lead Institute
Lambton College
Project Lead

Charlene Mahon

Professor of Psychology/ MHIF Project Lead
Lambton College
Charlene.Mahon@lambtoncollege.ca

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