News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – The 11th annual Ring A Bell campaign, co-ordinated jointly by Dots NB / Partners for Youth Inc., the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and Bell Aliant, is taking place Nov. 29 to Dec. 3.

The campaign, which is primarily being held virtually this year due to the pandemic, aims to increase mental health awareness and support.

“Since the start of the pandemic, the department has worked with partners to raise awareness of youth mental health in our schools, to help our students overcome various challenges and stresses and adapt to rapidly evolving situations,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy. “Campaigns like Ring A Bell help reduce stigma and normalize open discussion about mental health. I would like to thank all the schools actively participating in this campaign by offering stimulating ideas and creative activities to foster mental health and improve the overall well-being of children and youth in our province.”

As part of this year’s campaign, schools are invited to share what they are doing to support mental health. In early November, Dots NB / Partners for Youth Inc. posted educational and informational resources on its website, including mental health lesson plans and ways to integrate Canadian Indigenous cultures into classrooms.

This year’s provincial bell-ringing ceremony will take place in person, following COVID-19 restrictions, at the Mah-Sos School in Tobique First Nation (Neqotkuk). It is meant to focus on healing, reflection and the future.

“Mah-sos School and Neqotkuk First Nation are pleased to be the host school for the Ring A Bell campaign this year,” said school principal Cathy Riddell. “Mental wellness and awareness are very important to Mah-sos and we look forward to sharing our culture with the province.”

Schools can submit videos, poems, posters or songs, which will be used in the preparation of materials for Bell Let’s Talk Day on Jan. 26, 2022. A prize of $250 will be awarded to four of the participating elementary schools and middle schools. More information on how to participate is available on the Partners for Youth website.

“This pandemic has highlighted more than ever the need for youth mental health supports to be in every community in this province,” said Cindy Miles, director of community and government partnerships for Partners for Youth. “Bells have been used throughout history to bring a community together in times of need, celebration and to share information. That is why we ring bells – to highlight how critical it is that, as a province, we come together and ensure that the voices of youth are heard, respected and valued in this conversation. Their lives depend on it.”

“Bell is proud to be part of the Ring A Bell campaign, increasing awareness and mental health support in this province – as well as nationally – through initiatives such as Bell Let’s Talk,” said Glen LeBlanc, Bell’s chief financial officer and vice chair, Atlantic. “We applaud Partners for Youth and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development for their ongoing leadership in advancing diverse school and government programs for children and youth in New Brunswick.”

Providing students with meaningful learning and life experiences to support good physical and mental health is one of the goals set out in the government’s 10-year education plans.