Reading, 'Riting, 'Rithmetic and Relating: CAMH's "Fourth R" Program

CAMH Connexions

Fall 2006

by Michael Torres

The drama department at Westview Centennial Secondary School buzzed with excitement this summer as students participated in a unique video project aimed at educating high school students on healthy ways to deal with bullying, peer pressure and violence.

The Toronto Star, Thursday, July 6, 2006

Students acting in the "Fourth R" video

The day's events are chronicled in a story that appeared in the Toronto Star on July 6.

CAMH's Centre for Prevention Science in London, the Toronto District School Board and the Black Creek Community Health Centre partnered to produce the video-one that reflects the lives and experiences of Toronto students-to accompany the 'Fourth R' Program.

Developed by CAMH, the Fourth R uses open dialogue and role-playing to help grade 9 students form healthy relationships and make better choices during a critical developmental stage in their lives. The video and the program will be distributed throughout Ontario, Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan.

"Youth tend to relate to, and learn from, the experiences of kids going through the same things they are, which can be very effective in prevention," said Ray Hughes, CAMH Centre for Prevention Science. "These kids use the strategies we teach, then apply them in a way that is true to their lives."

This partnership coincides with the release of "Safe Schools Policy and Practice: An Agenda for Action," an Ontario task force report submitted to the Ministry of Education recommending changes to the education system's current approach to dealing with violence in schools. As Ontario moves from a system focused on zero tolerance to one of prevention, the work of CAMH's Centre for Prevention Science is poised to make a difference in the mental health of Canada's youth.

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