Promoting positive mental health with the program Passeport: S’équiper pour la vie (Passport: Skills for life)

Developed by a multidisciplinary team under the supervision of Professor Brian Mishara from the Université du Québec à Montréal and funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the mental health promotion program Passeport: S’équiper pour la vie (Passport: Skills for life) promotes children’s emotional well-being. More specifically, it encourages children to identify and assess coping strategies themselves in order to deal with new situations and everyday challenges. Studies show that early development of coping skills helps the child overcome challenges encountered during adolescence and adulthood[1].

A universal and educational program

Trained classroom teachers lead this turnkey program designed for third and fourth graders (children 9 to 11 years old). In fact, children of all backgrounds can benefit from it. Based on a strong conceptual foundation and rigorous scientific assessments, Passeport: S’équiper pour la vie helps children develop socio-affective skills when it comes to identifying and expressing their emotions and managing stress and interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, children learn from each other, developing a better sense of mutual support and greater autonomy.    

An effective and innovative program

The assessment shows that the program can be integrated easily into the school curriculum. The 17 sessions, lasting 55 minutes, begin with a fantasy-type cartoon and address five innovative themes with the children, including injustice, change and mourning the loss of a loved one. Incidentally, teachers appreciate how the theme is presented to the children. Based on their active participation, the fun and playful educational activities promote the students’ knowledge retention and development of social and emotional skills. Parents are also asked to participate in order to bridge the gap between the classroom and home environment, thus embracing the different spheres of the child’s life. For more information on this educational program to promote positive health, please contact us at sequiperpourlavie@uqam.ca.

[1] Boekaerts, M. (1996). Coping with stress in childhood and adolescence. Dans Zeidner, M. & Endler, N. (Eds.), Handbook of Coping: Theory, Research, Applications New York: John Wiley & Sons, 452-484.