The Z Zurich Foundation is helping to improve the mental health and wellbeing of New Zealand’s primary and high school students by supporting the Sir John Kirwan Foundation and its Mitey programme.
The programme takes a school-wide approach to mental health education, bringing teachers, students and communities together around a common goal – mentally thriving children.
Kirwan says the Z Zurich Foundation pledge will help grow Mitey’s school base across the country – it’s currently operating in Auckland – and increase the number of coaches who work directly with schools. He says one in seven adolescents aged between 10 and 19 are living with a diagnosed mental illness.
“Mitey is about inspiring change,” says Kirwan. “It’s about exciting our kids in the way we teach them about their own mental health and those of others.”
Under the Mitey scheme is each participating school is given a coach along with access to an online learning platform offering tools and resources.