UNITY — Things that come to mind that are better together are milk and cookies, bacon and eggs. Students at Unity Composite High School have decided to expand their current Activate initiatives into a “Better Together” campaign, aiming at improving connectedness which helps improve feelings of well-being and enhances social cohesion.
UCHS branched out a number of years ago from their Positive School Climate Committee into a new division called Activate. The intention of the newest initiative was for students to promote kindness and inclusion in day-to-day school life. The group decided it was equally as important to promote this message within Unity’s schools, in the community, within the Living Sky School Division and even around the province.
The Activate program has included projects that promoted their message, contests, activities at school and events in town as well as having students attend local elementary schools to promote their message.
A new project has been taken on by the UCHS Activate Team branded “Better Together.”
“The idea was brought to us from community PSCC member, Arlene Southgate,” Co-chair of the Activate Team Kaybree Spendelow tells the Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald and SASKTODAY.ca.
“She had seen this initiative in another community and has the shirt that has the message on it. We decided this was a great way to continue to expand our Activate message.”
Kaybree said they began a fundraising campaign seeking sponsors to purchase the T-shirts that show all kinds of things that are better together such as salt and pepper and peanut butter and jelly, to name a few.
“We want to give our best effort to ensure all kids have the opportunity to get a shirt and that affordability won’t be an inhibitor,” adds Kaybree.
The shirts are on sale at UCHS and will be promoted for sale again at their upcoming Mental Wellness Day upcoming in May.
Kaybree says their committee is focused on continuing to promote their message of kindness and inclusion and this new branch of their Activate Team will be another attraction factor.
“It fits the motives we are promoting, and it is what we are about.”
There are 12 members of the PSCC and Activate Team, six of whom are UCHS students, and the remainder is teachers and community members. Kaybree co-chairs the committee with fellow Grade 12 student, Emily Smith.
A letter requesting sponsorship states, “We would like to share some information about an organization called Better Together. It is based out of North Battleford and was formed by a high school student about five years ago after a devastating number of suicides. There were eight deaths over the span of seven weeks and five of those people were under the age of 22 years old.”
The letter noted, “Pastor Deb McNabb is an ambassador and a founder of the project, promotes Better Together Tuesdays. People, especially student bodies, are encouraged to wear their shirts and find someone wearing a matching shirt and acknowledge them with a wave or a high five. The end goal is better understanding, improve feelings of well-being and empathy, decrease loneliness and enhance social cohesion. This concept has spread rapidly, not only in Saskatchewan but across Canada. In this province, elementary schools, health care workers, as well as sports teams, are showing their support by wearing these shirts.”
Towns across Saskatchewan, such as Weyburn and Assiniboia, have adopted and promoted the Better Together initiative, and students are hopeful their efforts will expand into the community.
UCHS is viewing this as an important aspect of their continued efforts to support mental wellness.
You can follow the UCHS Facebook page for updates on the “Better Together” campaign and how you may be able to help their initiative.
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