What happens when students prioritize mental health during exams?
Do you remember walking into school during exams and feeling the stress without anyone saying a word to anyone?
At Miles Macdonell Collegiate, Grade 12 students Juliana Nicolas and Serenity Francisco could feel the tension building not just around them, but within themselves too. And instead of letting it sit, they decided to do something about it.
They decided to do something small but meaningful, something that could remind their classmates they weren’t alone.
The Butterfly Project began with small acts of kindness and uplifting messages, bringing comfort and hope to students during one of the most challenging times of the year.
Their project was recognized with Outstanding Take Action Project Award by MCIC.
We interviewed Juliana, who shared her thoughts about the project:
Why did you decide to focus on student mental health?
“As students ourselves, we wanted our project to reflect what we are passionate about, and we have spent the majority of our lives in the school setting. Over the years, we have witnessed how we as youth face many different types of adversities regarding responsibilities in our homes, social pressures, societal expectations but most especially, they are academics.”
What did you do for your project?
“We created The Butterfly Project to increasingly raise awareness around youth mental health and advocate for more active conversations around support systems and provide positive mindsets within the students in our local community. And we did this through the use of social media and creating exam care packages during the provincial exams.”
Each care package included treats, pencils, and handwritten notes. These simple things meant to help students feel calm and reduce their stress.
How did people respond?
“Even if we don’t have close relationships, we can still connect through shared struggles. The packages made people feel appreciated, calm, and confident.”
The response was heartwarming. More than 60 students received care packages and the Instagram page @tbp.butterflyproject, reached over 1,200 people. Students shared how the simple gestures helped them feel seen and supported during a stressful time.
What did you take away from this experience?
“Talking about mental health was also an outlet for me to express the thoughts and feelings that I needed to hear. I realized I’m not alone in my struggles with academic pressure.”
What positive changes do you hope to see in youth mental health in the future?
“Our goal is to build an environment where youth feel heard, supported, encouraged and understood. As conversations towards mental health is slowly becoming less stigmatized, we are motivated to increase the amount of students who can actively and comfortably reach out for help or understand that their own struggles do not define them. And that whatever they’re going through that feeling is important. And for that we look forward to seeing the change in the future.”
Have you taken action on something that matters to you? Whether it’s a project in your school or community, we’d love to hear about it. Email youth@mcic.ca to share your story and be featured on our blog.
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