The University of Calgary (U of C) was given an anonymous $5-million donation to enhance their mental health support program.
This followed a stabbing on April 15, which left five students dead.
U of C students Josh Hunter, Lawrence Hong and Jordan Segura, Mount Royal University student Kaiti Perras and Alberta College of Art and Design student Zackariah Rathwell were the victims.
Matthew de Grood, the suspect who also attended U of C, was charged with five counts of first-degree murder and is currently undergoing numerous psychiatric assessments to determine if he was criminally responsible for the crime.
This caused more than 1,000 students to defer their exams. Many students required counselling services, which drew national attention and shed light upon the issue of student mental health in Canada.
In response to this, the university implemented several mental health initiatives to help support students who suffer from mental health-related issues, according to a press release.
Its new program, titled UCalgaryStrong, has a goal to help students transition from secondary to post-secondary education.
The release said within this program there is a free assessment tool called StrengthsQuest (a tool currently used by more than 600 schools and universities in North America), which provides leadership advising and workshops to help students identify their top strengths and teach them to use them in different life scenarios.
“It allows us to offer a truly holistic student experience, linking community engagement, leadership development and personal wellness,” university president Elizabeth Cannon said in a release.
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