MONTREAL – To kick off Mental Health Week, Bell Let's Talk and The Rossy Family Foundation announced a joint $500,000 donation to the Fédération des cégeps and the Fondation de l'Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) to improve the mental health of college students in Quebec.
The donation of $250,000 each from Bell Let's Talk and The Rossy Family Foundation will enable the broader implementation and evaluation of the Zenétudes program, which supports students making the transition from secondary school to college. The program is currently offered in 10 CÉGEPs across Quebec and will now be expanded to more institutions.
Founded by UQAM professor and researcher Diane Marcotte, Zenétudes offers in-class and small-group workshops to develop student mental health awareness and knowledge of strategies to prevent mental health issues.
"Bell Let's Talk is proud to equip Québec college students with tools to support their success and future contribution to the development of our society and economy through this innovative program," said Bell's vice chair Québec Martine Turcotte, in the news release. "We are pleased once again to partner with The Rossy Family Foundation – with whom we have already announced the development of a new national standard for post-secondary mental health – to expand the capacity of the Zenétudes program so that 9,000 more students can benefit from it as soon as they start their college studies."
The Rossy Family Foundation is a Montreal-based philanthropic organization that funds initiatives in mental health, health care, education, the arts and Canadian civil society.
