Mysore/Mysuru: Mind and Matter Charitable Trust will conduct free mental health sessions in Schools and Colleges throughout Mysuru and Kodagu districts this month to increase awareness about mental health among parents, teachers and students.

For this, it is collaborating with the Department of Psychiatric Social Work at the National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru. Primary focus of these sessions is to promote mental well-being and enhance emotional and psychosocial competencies. It also aims to de-stigmatise misconceptions related to mental illnesses, normalise the act of seeking help when needed and encourage taking care of one’s mental health.

A training for 30 volunteers will be conducted on Nov. 4 and 5 in Mysuru and subsequently, the campaign will take place in 10 schools across Mysuru and Kodagu from Nov. 6 to 11, benefiting over 4,000 children, parents, and teachers.

The valedictory is scheduled for Nov. 10 at Madikeri. Mind and Matter has been collaborating with Kodagu District Child Protection Unit and affiliated homes since December 2020, and the Mysuru District Child Protection Unit since July 2022. The organisation’s mission is to equip children with knowledge spanning various fields, including humanities, history, creativity, and interpersonal skills.

In the past, Mind and Matter has conducted a wide range of workshops, covering subjects from aircraft dynamics and aero-modelling to astronomy, as well as important topics like good touch through sex education classes, reading sessions, art, dance, law, creative writing, waste management, nature journalling, birds of Kodagu, history of the Constitution, rights, colonisation, and more.

In August 2022, it organised a series of Mental Health Awareness Conferences in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatric Social Work at NIMHANS across 16 schools and colleges in Kodagu.