KidSMART is a critical component of CMHA Calgary’s continuum of youth-focused, mental health awareness programming and the first to specifically target a middle school population, aged 8 – 12. KidSMART currently exists as a downloadable mental health toolkit, to be utilized by teachers and community leaders, based on YouthSMART’s existing, facilitated workshops.

Implemented by CMHA Calgary’s Community Education staff team, including a former middle-school teacher and qualified curriculum developer, KidSMART will provide robust lesson plans and rich activities on the key themes of “Stress Management and Healthy Coping”, “Mental Health Awareness”, and “Skills for Being There”, in order for teachers and community leaders to deliver a best-practice curriculum, directly and independently to their own youth populations.

KidSMART In-Person Delivery

CMHA Calgary is excited to announce the expansion of our KidSMART program, thanks to generous support from the Calgary Foundation. KidSMART, originally launched in 2023 as a mental health education toolkit for Grades 4-6, will now include in-person delivery sessions at schools and community groups across Calgary and the surrounding area.

Through these free-of-charge sessions, students aged 8-12 will learn essential mental health skills, fostering resiliency and awareness from a young age. With the help of a newly appointed facilitator, CMHA Calgary aims to deliver workshops on Mental Health Awareness, Stress Management, and Healthy Coping Skills, empowering youth to take charge of their mental well-being.

Interested in in-person delivery? Contact us at education@cmha.calgary.ab.ca.

The sessions will be available starting this fall, and we look forward to collaborating with schools, educators, and community leaders to provide tailored, age-appropriate mental health education.

Educator’s Toolkit

The educator’s toolkit incorporates the curriculum, lesson plans, and activities for teachers and community leaders to deliver education surrounding topics of Stress Management, Mental Health Awareness, and Skills for Being There.

Student Worksheets

The worksheets accompany the educator’s toolkit. Depending on the lesson plan, a worksheet will be provided for student’s to utilize to further understand the material.

If you have any questions about KidSMART, please connect with us (info@cmha.calgary.ab.ca).

We would like to thank the Calgary Foundation for their support to develop this KidSMART toolkit. Their backing of this project allows CMHA Calgary the opportunity to expand our reach to those younger age ranges to begin their mental health knowledge journey.