The core of Student Mental Health Week consists of events held on campuses. Events can be of any nature and size, and all events are valuable.
In line with the campaign theme, we hope that social accessibility is taken into account as much as possible when organizing events, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to participate.
Remember to register your event to increase its visibility and integrate it into the campaign.
Here are some ideas for campaign events:
Panel Discussion
A panel discussion built around the theme of Student Mental Health Week 2024 aims to invite students, educational institutions, local actors, and decision-makers to discuss challenges related to youth mental health. Panelists can include students, faculty members, as well as mental health or equality professionals. Depending on resources, multiple panels can be organized throughout the week. For example, students can organize their own panel, inviting faculty members and local policymakers as the audience.
Student Mental Health Week Fair
During Student Mental Health Week, small fairs held on campus premises introduce students to local and national organizations promoting mental health and their services. The goal is to provide students with information about where and what kind of help they can get, as well as to offer inspiration, for example, in finding new hobbies. When seeking exhibitors for the fair, consider entities whose activities may not directly relate to mental health but can have a positive impact on it, such as organizers of sports activities, cultural organizations, or even students’ own clubs.
Thought Wall
The Thought Wall offers students the opportunity to share their own thoughts on the theme of Student Mental Health Week 2024. The Thought Wall serves as both an activity and an installation for the duration of the week. It can be a large board, a plywood sheet, or simply a wall. Students can write their thoughts on, for example, sticky notes, which are then attached to the wall. The Thought Wall should be placed in a location accessible to as many students as possible. Alternatively, the wall can be in multiple buildings or on multiple campuses. If desired, educational institutions, student organizations, and students themselves can also share photos of the Thought Wall on social media.
Moment of Joy
A Moment of Joy is a low-threshold social event aimed at students, providing information and possibly support for students’ everyday lives. A Moment of Joy event can be organized by a student organization, educational institution, or another entity, such as local volunteer organization. Multiple Moments of Joy events can be organized during Student Mental Health Week. The event can be implemented, for example, as a coffee gathering where tips for managing everyday life are shared, or as a movie night or art workshop. The style of implementation is free, and inspiration can be drawn from various fields of study at the educational institution or from services offered by your city. When planning content, ensure that all students should have the opportunity to participate in the event.