Leading up to World Mental Health day on October 10th, Mental Illness Awareness week is an opportunity for our community to learn about the reality of living with a mental illness, fight social stigma, and normalize conversations about mental health.

This year’s campaign for World Mental Health Day calls for meaningful engagement with people with lived experience and recognize that their experience is a vital form of knowledge; and that this knowledge is critical in shaping policies, services and decisions that affect their lives. Just as we learn from research and professional expertise, there is immense value in listening to and learning from individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges. Their stories provide insight, foster empathy, challenge stigma, and remind us that recovery and resilience look different for everyone.

How can you engage?

During the week of October 5-9, 2026, in Manitou a bi Bii daziigae, join Campus Well Being & ArtBeat Studio in celebrating the strength, talent, and diverse experiences of our community through the power of art. The exhibit will showcase artwork created by individuals who have experienced mental health and addiction challenges, highlighting personal stories of resilience, hope, and self-expression. Through their artwork, ArtBeat artists share personal experiences, emotions, and perspectives that may be difficult to express in words alone.

Connect through conversation and art during the drop-in Rock Painting session at EDC on Wednesday October 7th from 11:15 am to 12:45 pm. Click here for details.

Drop in to the Canadian Human Rights Museum on Sunday October 4, 2026 for conversation and art that explore mental health as a human right. Through artistic expression and community connection, these programs invite participants to consider mental health through a human rights lens and reflect on what it means to create communities where everyone can support one another with dignity, compassion and care.

Get involved with Campus Well Being’s Advisory Group. The purpose of the Advisory Group is to provide critical input to shape the Healthy Minds Healthy College strategy, ensuring a wide variety of perspectives are considered. Contact Kelly Giddings for more information.