Trafalgar High School ran its annual R U Ok Day barbecue at the end of term three by students who followed the model set by year 12 VCE VM students on their community projects day.
The student team running the barbecue for their peers included members of the schools Live 4 Life crew, which is a group of year nine and 10 students supporting the school to participate in the Baw Baw Live 4 Life program that presents teen mental health first aid training in year eight and year nine classes during the year.
The team also included several year eight students keen to build future leadership skills in the school community.
Together the group of students served more than 300 sausages to fellow students and school staff. Other students took on the role of DJ and had a mix of music playing, making sure that while the event presented the serious mental health messages of R U Ok, it also was a a social event engaging for the target market.
"This peer led approach to mental health is very important at Trafalgar High School," principal Brett Pedlow said. "If your not okay, a friend is someone you will share with and if they can encourage you to seek support, its very powerful."
"It's also very powerful that mixed age groups of students are prepared to work together on these projects in our school community. On this project we have seen students from years eight, nine and work together following an event plan tested for them a few weeks prior by the year 12 students," he said.
R U Ok forms part of a mix of mental health and wellbeing days conducted across the school calendar and links to the school's commitment to the Baw Baw Live for Life program and to delivering the Victorian rights, resilience and respectful relationships curriculum.