Get involved

If you have questions about any of the initiatives below, please get in touch with us by emailing info@walkinmyshoes.ie.

• WIMS Live

  2020 marked the first ever outing of WIMS Live, an online programme of interactive broadcasts and activities to celebrate World Mental Health Day. 

  WIMS Live was such a success that we're bringing it back - and, this time, not just for one week, but for a full month! 

  We'll be sharing all the details very shortly, but you can expect a great mix of events, workshops, podcasts and social media takeovers with mental health ambassadors and very special guests. Stay tuned for the week of 4-10 October especially, which, in the lead-up to World Mental Health Day itself, we'll be dedicating to content for school students and teachers.

  If you missed any of our 2020 line-up, you can catch up here.

  Check back here for some exciting announcements coming soon.

• Ways to Wellbeing

  Is your school based in Dublin 8? We have a great project for you!
  

  We're collaborating with Smart D8 on Ways to Wellbeing, an exciting new project which builds positive wellbeing in the community by fostering open, rewarding conversations between young and elderly people in the area.

  To help them get started, all registered students will receive a free project pack to assist them while planning their projects, which can take place across a range of mediums, from podcasts and videos to written stories and more.

  Registration is open until 24 September; find out more here.

   

• Funky Shoe Days

  Step out of your comfort zone with one of our Funky Shoe Days!

  We invite you and your students to slip on shoes you wouldn't normally wear to school to brighten up your moods and raise awareness about mental health. Some schools have arranged funky shoe walks, while teachers and students' parents have also been known to take part in high heel races or welly throws - every idea is welcome!

  Find out more about Funky Shoe Days here.

• Frame of Mind short film and TikTok competition

  Our Frame of Mind competition uses film-making as a creative way to challenge mental health stigma or highlight a positive health message. 

  The competition welcomes short films, up to three minutes in length, from general filmmakers and secondary schools, while, for the first time, our 2020/21 competition included a TikTok category just for secondary schools. We had close to 100 entries to the competition, reflecting the interest young people have in expressing their thoughts on mental health through a creative lens.

  You can watch the winning entries to our 2020/21 competition here.

  See more on Frame of Mind here.

• Mission Possible school achievement awards

  If your school is running mental health and wellbeing initiatives, don't miss the opportunity to celebrate them through our Mission Possible school achievement awards.

  Mission Possible recognises the dedication of teachers and schools in promoting positive mental health in the classroom and community. It takes just a few minutes to enter by uploading your project to our School Portal and completing an application form, with fantastic prizes and media coverage available for winning schools.

  You can meet the winning schools and projects for our 2021 awards here.

  We'll be sharing details of our next awards programme here in the coming months. 

   

   

• #MindYourSelfie Day

  #MindYourSelfie Day is our annual social media campaign where we invite as many people as possible to use the #MindYourSelfie hashtag to kickstart conversations about mental health.

  We also use the opportunity to launch a new wellbeing support for young people, which, over the years, has included everything from Wellness Journals and mindfulness colouring sheets to eBooks and classroom film guides. You can find all these resources here.

  Our next #MindYourSelfie Day will be held in 2022; you can learn more here.

• Transition Year Programme

  Our Transition Year (TY) Programme sees over 100 students joining the team at St Patrick's Mental Health Services for week-long work experience placements. Taking part in roughly five mental health-focused sessions each day, students return to their schools as mental health ambassadors.

  The next TY Programme will be unrolling across five weeks in the 2021/22 school year, with students taking part from their own homes as protection against the spread of COVID-19.

  Learn more about the programme here.

• Teacher training

  Schools and teachers are instrumental in helping students to understand mental health and prioritise their wellbeing. We host regular training opportunities for teachers and school staff to support you in this practice.

  We'll be sharing details of future teacher training here.