Getting Started

Registration

The first step in joining the Thrival Kits™ family is registering. Registration for the school year opens mid-September and closes mid-November every year.

Orientation

Register for an orientation session to learn about Thrival Kits™ and gain your confidence in delivering the program in the classroom, hear about the many new and exciting changes that have been made to the program this year, and explore the many resources that Thrival Kits™ has to offer. Orientation sessions will run every Thursday from 3:30-4pm starting on October 19th until November 30th. To register for an orientation, please contact the Thrival Kits Program Coordinator at dvermette@cmhawpg.mb.ca

Create your facilitator account

The Engage and Exchange Hub is where you can access all the Facilitator materials needed; including the Facilitator Guide, Resource Bundle, audio clips and videos that accompany activities. To access the Engage and Exchange Hub, create a Facilitator account on the website (thrivalkits.ca). Below is a video (30 seconds) demonstrating how to create your Facilitator account.  You can also check out the FAQ section of the website to see a step-by-step process.

Play Video

Thrival Kits™ implementation

Beginning in the fall and then continuing throughout the school year, Thrival Kits Facilitators use this Facilitator Guide and other resources such as videos, to introduce students to six themes that include over 24 different mental health promotion activities. Facilitators typically introduce one new Thrival Kits™ activity every week over a six-month period (see suggested timeline below). Facilitators can choose which activities they introduce to students. The themes and activities are somewhat sequential, however, so it’s best to maintain the order in which they appear in the Facilitator’s Guide.

Suggested timeline

Theme	Date
Theme 1: Understanding the importance of Mental Health	October 2023 – November 2023
Theme 2: Respecting yourself and others	November 2023 – January 2024
Theme 3: Empowering yourself with knowledge of your human rights	January 2024 – February 2024
Theme 4: Celebrating your gifts, talents, and strengths	February 2024 – March 2024
Theme 5: Feeling grateful for the present, and planting dreams for the future	March 2024 – April 2024
Theme 6: Living mindfully & program wrap up	April 2024 – End of June 2024

Thrival Kits™ supplies and resources

Student Kits – Facilitators are provided a Thrival Kit box and supplies for each student as ordered. Students personalize their own Thrival Kit™. As they learn new Thrival Kits activities throughout the year, students add meaningful items to their kits. The Thrival Kits™ are large enough so that students can add their own materials, such as personalized keepsakes and well-being prompts. At the end of the school year, students can take their Thrival Kits™ home and adopt the daily practices of mental health promotion throughout the summer and beyond.

Facilitator/Classroom Thrival Kit – Each registered Facilitator is provided a classroom kit that contains materials the Facilitator needs to introduce the Thrival Kits activities. The lesson plans and instructions for each activity are found in the Facilitator Guide. Many of the activities include written scripts, audio, or video-recorded instructions to help Facilitators introduce the activities. Facilitators can select the format that works best for them and their classrooms.

Audio and video resources – (links) are included in the Facilitator Guide for easy access. These videos are also located on the Thrival Kits website in the Engage and Exchange Hub (thrivalkits.ca).

Resource bundle – Some activities require materials from the Resource Bundle. To access the Resource Bundle, log into your Facilitator Account in the Engage and Exchange Hub.

Facilitator resources and support

Are all found in the Engage and Exchange Hub

Thrivalkits.ca. The Thrival Kits website is the epicentre of the entire program. Everything that is needed to run the program is located on the website. This is where Facilitators can find out the latest updates on the program, register for Thrival Kits™, and access the Engage and Exchange Hub.

Engage and Exchange Hub

The Engage and Exchange Hub includes plenty of resources for stress-free implementation.

Play Video

Facilitator Forum

A new feature of the Engage and Exchange Hub is the Facilitator Forum section. This is a safe space to share ideas and questions with other Facilitators. We encourage Facilitators to check out the Forum on a regular basis and post their tips and strategies, or pose a question to your fellow Facilitators. This can resemble a Community of Practice and/or Learning!

Thrival Kits Monthly e-Newsletter

The Thrival Kits newsletter is where Facilitators get to learn about all the exciting things that are happening in the program over the course of the school year. The monthly newsletter will be emailed to every Thrival Kits Facilitator at the beginning of each month. 

Program Leads

When registering for the program, each school is asked to provide contact information for one person who will be a point of contact throughout the school year. School social workers, psychologists or guidance counsellors may take on the role of being the Program Lead. The role of the Program Lead is to be the leader and mental health champion for Thrival Kits in their school. They will be able to answer any questions about the program and can offer more hands-on support.

Facilitator Well-Being

Research shows that educator well-being is critical to teacher effectiveness, student outcomes, and positive school climate (Hascher & Waber, 2021). The Care for All in Education (CFAE) (a Canadian Mental Health Association program) are resources developed to promote the mental health and well-being of every employee in the education sector in Manitoba schools.  These resources and programs support recovery and promote wellness in response to the current, emerging and diverse mental health concerns of the education sector.  Access to the resources and programs are free and available to all. There is a web portal and school-based workshops.  Connecting to the CFAE is accessible by chat, telephone or email.  

Interested in Thrival Kits?

Fill out the form on the right and one of our staff will contact you.