Penticton youth spent an intensive day last week talking about mental health and how it relates to them and their communities.

The March 10 event was the first of four youth summits planned for coming months in B.C. The free one-day events are led by youth, for youth to talk about mental health, break down stigma and connect people to resources in their communities.

sa国际传媒淭here has been some serious moments in the day, in the speeches and there has also been some funny ones, so we have been able to release emotions and discuss the dynamics of mental wellness,sa国际传媒� said Victoria Richie, a Penticton Secondary School student and a youth organizer for the event.

Richie said she could see her peers getting engaged during the event, which included a keynote speech from two-time Grey Cup champion Shea Emry and workshops ranging from a guided yoga practice to ways to promote a positive body image, even learning how to share their personal experiences.

sa国际传媒淲e had two youth from Summerland talk about the work they are doing sa国际传媒� how to make other people feel comfortable and learn more about how to share their journey as well,sa国际传媒� said Richie. sa国际传媒淭ips and tricks about how to open up to people and be confident with their stories.sa国际传媒�

Richie went on a guided hike led by Emery, aimed at helping the participants connect with nature and being comfortable with themselves.

sa国际传媒淲e reflected a lot of moods and how we were feeling. At the start of the hike, some kids were nervous about it, the weather was snowy, so they werensa国际传媒檛 super excited about being outside,sa国际传媒� said Richie. sa国际传媒淎s we went on and we appreciated everything, people became more positive and the way they described their mood at the end of the hike was completely different than how they did at the beginning. They seemed to be more open and engaged.sa国际传媒�

Paul Irving, project co-ordinator with the health literacy team at , which sponsored the event, said he was impressed by the courage of the students, both the youth organizers that stepped up to help put it together and those who shared their stories.

sa国际传媒淚 think the main thing we are learning is creating a safe and supportive environment for all the students attending to share tips, to share maybe some of their own experiences, connect, learn about what else they can do in their schools, what other students are doing in their schools to support mental health and wellness,sa国际传媒� said Irving.

sa国际传媒淚t showed me that we all have to support each other,sa国际传媒� said Richie. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not about one person helping themselves, itsa国际传媒檚 everyone being inclusive, being welcoming and feel strong as well.sa国际传媒�

Four summits are scheduled from April to May sa国际传媒� Surrey, Vancouver Island and Northern B.C. sa国际传媒� and are an initiative of B.C. Childrensa国际传媒檚 Hospital, supported by the Canucks for Kids Fund. The Balancing Our Minds summit began in Vancouver, attracting more than 1,000 annually since its inception in 2014.