Programs, partnerships & resources that make a difference
The TDSB continued to enhance mental health and well-being services through collaborative programming with schools, families, and community partners. Together, these initiatives are building supportive learning environments where students feel seen, safe, and connected.
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Mental health studio & podcasting
TDSB Social Workers created a studio for podcasting to highlight student voices on topics from mental health, anti-violence and well-being. Students create music and podcasts to build identity, wellness, and voice.
With 2,340 students engaged, representing 146 per cent of the targeted 1,600 students, there was strong outreach and interest in the program. In addition, 380 students registered as apprentices, achieving 95 per cent of the program鈥檚 goal, also reflecting strong engagement from employers and effective transition planning at the school level.
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Anti-sex trafficking symposiums and summit
The TDSB鈥檚 social work and community partners co-facilitated Anti-Sex Trafficking and Mental Health & Addictions initiatives, reaching an impressive scale this year. The initiative engaged over 36,000 students across elementary and secondary schools and thousands of staff through training, policy implementation, and collaborative learning. Highlights included:
- 83 OneChild.ca presentations delivered across 35 schools, reaching 10,470 students and educators
- 2022-23 = 178 were board-level competitors, in return to in-person competition听A Victim Services Toronto Virtual Symposium that reached 24,951 students from 86 schools
- A series Anti-Sex Trafficking symposia collectively engaged over 1,200 students and 600 adults.
The learning delivered trauma-informed, culturally responsive, anti-violence, and rapid supports across the system. Together, these initiatives not only equip students with critical knowledge around safety, consent, and healthy relationships, but also strengthen staff capacity and community partnerships to ensure safer, more inclusive, and responsive schools
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Digital safety
On May 14, 2024, the Experiential Learning Special High Skills Major Team launched the inaugural Student Digital Animation Festival. Around 240 students The TDSB鈥檚 social work, child and youth counsellors supported five community events centered on digital safety. Student-created resources, panels, and toolkits supported 875 families navigating digital safety and exploitation risks. This work was carried out in collaboration with the Toronto Police Services Internet Child Exploitation Unit and TDSB partners who support parents, caregivers, and guardians.
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In-person connections to support developmental disabilities
The Developmental Disabilities Virtual Connect event was held on May 3, 2025 to support families of children, youth, and young adults with developmental disabilities.听听
Each month also features two virtual sessions 鈥� one in the morning and one in the evening 鈥� that are co-led by key community agencies. They focus specifically on providing community supports, autism services, funding听and recreation, transition to adulthood, and long-term future planning for children and youth with developmental disabilities.听
Group of students and parents sitting in circle on carpet.
These events are led by TDSB Social Work Services in collaboration with Professional Support Services, Special Education and Inclusion, and other community partners. Over 500 families attended an in-person fair and 667 families attended the six virtual drop-in events.
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Mental Health Student Ambassadors
TDSB Social Workers and Child and Youth Counsellors supported 300 students in over 50 schools with developing 455 projects from wellness rooms, stigma-busting campaigns, arts-based projects to kindness initiatives. These various projects reached 12,000 students and 300 staff and the program explicitly addressed anti-bullying and belonging听in daily school life.
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Roots2Rise
The Roots2Rise conference brought together 135 Black male students with 20 staff, mentors, and community leaders. This event also brought together TDSB social workers, attendance counsellors and the representatives from the City of Toronto Community Crisis Response Program. Through workshops, arts, and cultural pride, students explored mental health, resilience, and leadership in affirming spaces.
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Exercise2Success
The Excercise2Success program combines physical activity, leadership, positive mental health and belonging. Led by TDSB Social Work and community partners, a total of 1,473 newcomer students, including students with disabilities saw themselves reflected in both the facilitators and the programming itself, strengthening resilience and community engagement.
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Teens ending abusive relationships mobile program
This year, TDSB social workers in collaboration with Victim Services Toronto co-facilitated consent and equity-based workshops for 120 students with developmental and mild intellectual disabilities. The program built protective and听self-advocacy skills, centering anti-violence, safety, community connections, and leadership opportunities.
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Affinity spaces
Social workers supported and co-facilitated identity-based affinity clubs, providing safe spaces for 2,000 students to connect, affirm identity, and build leadership. These included Black student associations, gender independent groups, along with Muslim and Jewish student associations
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Digital Citizenship Teams
Social workers have supported TDSB community partner, Dwayne Morgan to develop something called Digital Citizenship Teams. Approximately 5,000 students in grades 6 to 8 across 50 schools are involved in co-leading teams to engage peers in safe online use, privacy, and mental health. The initiative aims to build leadership and strengthen community safety overall. For the 2025-26 School year, these schools and students will participate in the 鈥淪lammin鈥� Poetry-Digital Safety鈥� contest, co-facilitated by Dwayne Morgan and TDSB Social Work and Child and Youth Counselling staff.
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Building inclusive school communities
Social workers facilitated anti-Black racism workshops for 1,100 students in grades 1 through 6, supporting emotional regulation, confidence, and anti-Black racism awareness. Sessions like 鈥極ur Skin Colour鈥� and 鈥楾alking About Race鈥� were available for student participants.
This year, mental health leads at the TDSB built capacity with nearly 1,000 educators, ESL, and Special Education staff around trauma-informed, anti-racist practices. This training strengthened staff capacity to create safer, identity affirming, and responsive learning environments for all community members.
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Mental health literacy and suicide prevention training
Mental health leads and social work staff provided professional learning for over 1,000 school staff on culturally responsive training to embed mental health literacy in classrooms and the curriculum. Additionally, these staff are supporting the implementation of the Ministry鈥檚 mental health literacy programming in the grades 7, 8, and 10 curricula.
Over 100 staff were also trained in safeTALK suicide alertness and intervention programming by 20 TDSB social workers certified as trainers. This capacity-building strengthens school readiness for responding to crises as they may arise.
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Supporting the transition to high school at congregated sites
Social workers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech language pathologists at the TDSB supported 500 students and 200 families with developmental听and physical disabilities to develop a transition plan for secondary school. This work included tours, sharing resources, and making peer connections for participants.
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Itinerant child & youth counsellors mental health initiatives
Twenty-three Itinerant Child and Youth Counsellors delivered over 120 targeted small group programs in over 100 schools, focusing on social-emotional learning, identity development, conflict resolution, and neurodiversity affirming practices. These initiatives supported approximately 39,000 students across the system.
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