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Voices of RPIA
In Our Community
Strong Minds | Strong Kids – Psychology Canada
The lockdowns from Covid-19 were a difficult time for everyone – both young and old. However, when you think about young children learning the fundamentals of their educational career virtually while also dealing with the changes in their home and social environments, the burden becomes a lot heavier. Strong Minds | Strong Kids
started a pilot program that has since become a permanent program through a Quinn Family Future Foundation gift. The gift helps provide virtual counselling that focuses on resiliency, independence, and dealing with the challenges of constant change and uncertainty. In the program, professional counsellors are paired with volunteers to provide these services to children ages 7-10 who need it. The program is offered to all schools; however, it is mostly used by schools from low-income areas, which were impacted more significantly by the social and economic impacts of the pandemic. Now, with the permanent program, students will continue to have access to professional counsellors through any other changes going on in their lives. The program hopes that by learning to cope and build resilience and independence at a young age, these students will be able to overcome the hinderances they experience in their lives and achieve their potential.
We must invest in young people as they are the key to a better society tomorrow, but this means they need access to the right networks and financial goals to reach their potential. For me, stepping into that space and bridging the gap between bright students and the networks they need to succeed is one way of improving equitable access. Bringing diversity of thought into cutting edge professions, whether it’s through different socioeconomic or ethnic and racial backgrounds, is what will help us as a society to evolve and make better decisions for the world around us. - Mike Quinn, Principal, Senior Advisor
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