Brandon Community Youth Wellness Forum - Anxiety: Growing Our Mindset & Finding Balance

The Brandon Community Youth Wellness Coalition would like to thank everyone who joined us for an engaging and insightful discussion on "Anxiety: Growing Our Mindset & Finding Balance" on March 4, 2025, at Vincent Massey High School. 

In today’s fast-paced world, stress and uncertainty can easily feel overwhelming. However, understanding anxiety and learning how to manage it is essential to maintaining mental health and well-being. At this event, we explored practical strategies to nurture a positive mindset, better understand anxiety, cope with life’s pressures, and find balance.

Together, we learned how to transform challenges into opportunities for personal growth, build resilience, and approach life with a healthier, more balanced perspective. We’re excited to continue this journey toward wellness, supporting one another every step of the way.

Thank you to everyone who attended—youth, parents, educators, and mental health professionals—for your active participation and commitment to fostering a resilient community.

The evening kicked off with an opportunity for parents and students to explore the library and visit the booths of various local organizations that offer support to our schools, students, and the community of Brandon and the surrounding area, from 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM. These community partners included: 

• Addiction Services - Prairie Mountain Health
• Anxiety Disorders Association of MB
• Brandon Police Service
• CEYS Brandon Inc. (Career Employment Youth Services)
• Child and Adolescent Treatment Centre - Prairie Mountain Health
• City of Brandon Youth Centre
• Health Promotion - Prairie Mountain Health
• Huddle Brandon 
• Jordan's Principle with Brandon School Division and Southern Chief's Organization 
• PATDogs Therapy Dog Group
• SERC MB
• St John Ambulance
• Suicide Prevention Implementation Network 
• The Western Manitoban Regional Women's Resource Centre
• Westman Families of Addicts 
• Westman Immigrant Services 
• Wheat City Al-Anon Family Group

At 7:15 PM, we gathered in the VMHS Lecture Theatre for presentations by mental health experts, youth advocates, and local professionals. Attendees engaged in interactive discussions and left with valuable tools to help manage anxiety in their everyday lives.

If you were unable to attend the meeting in person, you can access PDF copies of the presentations below. These files contain all the key points and visuals shared during the session, ensuring you stay informed. If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to contact your child’s school directly, or send us an email: info@bsd.ca. 

You can also click on the images below to view a short summary and biography of each presenter:

We’re grateful for the opportunity to come together as a community and support one another in building resilience and understanding. If you missed this event, don’t worry—we’ll continue to provide valuable resources and opportunities to nurture mental well-being in the future.

About The Brandon Community Youth Wellness Coalition: 

The Brandon Community Youth Wellness Coalition consists of representation from the following community-based organizations: Brandon Friendship Centre, Brandon Police Service, Brandon School Division, Child and Family Services, City of Brandon, Huddle Brandon, Prairie Mountain Health / Mental Health & Addictions Services, Prairie Mountain Health / Child and Adolescent Treatment Centre, Southern Chiefs Organization / Jordan’s Principle, and SPIN (Suicide Prevention Implementation Network). We work collaboratively to ensure our students can easily access information and supports within our community to strengthen their wellness and raise awareness of issues currently affecting the youth population in Brandon.