Youth Mental Health Volunteering
Support mental health awareness in your school and community
Why It Matters
Mental health is a growing priority for Canadian universities. Students who take tangible action on mental health - running campaigns, supporting peers - demonstrate empathy and leadership simultaneously.
How to Start
Join or start a Jack.org chapter at your school - Jack.org is Canada's leading youth mental health organisation and provides full support for school chapters.
Commitment
- Medium commitment: a few hours most weeks during the school year.
- Best starting grade: G8
- G8 or G9 - starting a chapter early gives you years to grow it and take on senior roles.
Programs It Supports
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Health Sciences
- Education
- Nursing
Majors it supports
- Psychology – mid to high 80s
- Social Work (BSW) – high 70s to high 80s
- Health Sciences – 95%+ average plus strong supplemental - Canada's most competitive undergrad
- Education (BEd) – high 70s to high 80s
- Nursing (BScN) – high 80s to low 90s - very competitive at McMaster, UofT, UBC
Similar extracurriculars
- Hospital or Healthcare Volunteering – Support patients and staff in a healthcare setting
- Food Bank Volunteering – Support food security in your community
- Peer Tutoring or Academic Support – Help classmates or younger students succeed
- Seniors Centre / Long-Term Care Volunteering – Provide companionship and support to elderly residents
- Environmental Conservation Volunteering – Protect and restore natural ecosystems
- Local Food Bank Organizer – Coordinate school-wide food drives for the local community
- Community Garden Manager – Convert school or local land into a vegetable garden
- Blood Drive Ambassador (Canadian Blood Services) – Recruit students and teachers to donate blood