• Program: Entrepreneurial Adventure• City, Province: Toronto, Ontario• Learning Partner: Lisa Durnford, BMO• Teacher Name: Paul Sabyan• Teacher Email: sabyanp@tcdsb.org Image-Grade 12 Painting Project “What’s Going on in Your Head”

St. Joseph’s College SchoolMood Board

Idea For Our Project?What we face at the school is an ever growing number of health and wellness challenges. We decided that whatever product or service we did, it needed to focus on the overall well being of students.

It was recognized that these mental health issues were not shared, nor issues necessarily understood.The“silence “ only enhances the burden carried around by our students.

Our aim was to have the students share their thoughts and feelings and stories. We needed to look at ways of getting our students to open up.

St. Joseph’s College SchoolSt. Joseph’s College School

Everyone Has a Story

How Did We Make It Work?

We set the topic of “MENTAL HEALTH and WELL BEING” as a jumping-off- point for brainstorming ideas. We prepared questions to this.

Groups were formed to brainstorm. Each group was asked to select 3 of their “best” ideas. Groups were told to:

1. Focus on quantity2. Withhold criticism3. Welcome unusual ideas4. Combine and improve ideas5. Build on that one idea

St. Joseph’s College School

What Did We Learn?

As much as the Covid 19 pandemic was a challenge, it also presented the opportunity to further recognize the need for our product/service.

Our product/service could be a useful mental health - well being tool in schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.

Our tool is not intended to interfere with the day to day professional activities of care but rather integrate and enhance these activities.

The pandemic did not allow us to partner with a nursing home to further develop and test the idea.

St. Joseph’s College School

Product and Key Takeaway

Product: Magnetic whiteboard affixed to a wall, includes a pocket witha place to store materials.

Washable surface, magnetic whiteboard markers, stickers and magnets also provided.

A QR code and or linking app displayed on the board to connect to stories that board holders share to foster/ build connections.

St. Joseph’s College School

I lived through the Great Depression

Its almost my birthday

Marketing and Sales

Sales will be to large institutions and charities to support mental health and well-being in schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.

Charities and supporters could have their logo on the board.

Sales would be not for profit and only to cover costs and distribution.

Staff to be be trained to help board owners use the product and incorporate its use in their daily lives.

St. Joseph’s College School

St. Joseph’s College School

I believe our main idea was to bring awareness(spread knowledge of a particular problem or cause), understanding(the ability to understand the concept of mental health) and how to better mental health in many ways. - Josephine

It was something unlike I’ve ever done for a project and many other students can say the same. It’s more than other tiring essays and boring presentations that other teachers make us do. It was giving us a brief feeling of what it feels like to be a business person. - Sabela.

The mood board concept was an excellent idea that would enable people to put down and arrange their thoughts and feelings to better cope with their mental health . Not only is it relevant to people of our age group, but it would be very beneficial to a lot of people during these uncertain times. The intervention and guidance of Ms. Lisa Dunford would have brought the concept to life perfectly because I believe she has enough expertise that would make the project a success. - Desiree

I think our main idea was to incorporate mental health and business and we were working towards a project that would help with mental health. It was nice to learn about the process of a business project and how to come up with a project that is beneficial. Having Lisa come to class was so really cool as I don't know anyone in the business field let alone a woman so it was nice to hear her story and get some real world advice from her. I'm really sad we didn't get to work on it but what we had learned beforehand was still very useful. - Beatriz

Student Thoughts...