GD Goenka University, in partnership with the Fortis Mental Health Programme has recently organised an event named ‘VARTAH: Values – Awareness – Reform – Thrive – Action – Hope.’ The summit was focused on managing risk behaviour for school children, it gathered school counsellors from all corners of the country. VARTAH, being a national-level school counsellors summit, had a clear objective of fostering a positive mental health culture within educational systems, according to an official release.
It is believed that it has provided a platform for school counsellors and educators to come together and engage in meaningful conversations, with a primary focus on creating awareness, implementing reforms and taking action to enhance the well-being of children and adolescents, the release mentioned.
“Empowering children in their formative years with skills for life that help them navigate through ups and downs with confidence, self-belief and resilience is essential, that takes them on their individual paths of success, are able to have meaningful relationships and contribute to the society. A focus on mental health and well-being as an integral part of education is critical to ensure positive overall growth,” Dr. Samir Parikh, chairperson, Fortis National Mental Health Programme, said.
The event showcased presentations delivered by speakers from institutions such as King’s University Canada, James Cook University, Singapore and several experts in the field of international education. The sessions were centred around identifying risks and offering practical solutions to address prevailing issues and challenges in child and adolescent mental health. Moreover, the event presented real-life examples of how these issues are effectively managed across diverse geographical and cultural settings worldwide, as per the release.
“VARTAH shall focus on de-stigmatising mental illness and enabling counsellors with skills required for helping adolescents in vulnerable environments. This shall be an extension of the University’s focus on propagating mental well-being and integrating psychological health into mainstream education. The event brings together mental health experts, school counsellors and teachers creating opportunities for dialogue around action required for propagating psychological well-being of the youth,” Anjali Midha Sharan, dean, R&D, School of Humanities, Social Science and Education, GD Goenka University, said.