We’re excited to share that the second Press Start CoLab High School Program was an incredible success! Over seven weeks, eight teams of Ontario high school students came together with mentors and members of the education community to develop thoughtful, meaningful ideas for positive change. Watching these young people grow as thinkers, collaborators, and emerging leaders was nothing short of inspiring.
About the Program
The Press Start CoLab High School Program is built around a simple but powerful mission: young people are best positioned to understand and solve the mental health challenges facing youth. Our goal is to address mental health from an early age, from the perspective of students themselves, and to help create a path of least resistance for well-being that carries into adulthood.
To give student participants a focused starting point, we curated three sub-focus areas for the teams to explore: de-stigmatizing mental health, building confidence and self-image, and creating safe spaces for connectedness. Each group selected at least one of these sub-focus areas as the foundation for their solution. This year, we saw a strong trend toward that third area: creating safe spaces for connectedness.
The Results: $27,000 in Grants Awarded Across All Eight Teams
Throughout the program, participants were guided by accomplished grant recipients from our original CoLab Program and inspired by keynote speaker Efe Fruci. In the final stage of the program, each team submitted a proposal for grant funding. We are proud to share that all eight groups received support. A total of $27,000 in funding was awarded, including a generous $15,000 contribution from grant sponsor, OTIP. Their belief in these student teams made a real difference, and we’re grateful for their generosity.
Our Mentors: Guiding Participants Forward with Care
One of the things that makes this program special is the quality of support and mentorship student groups receive. Press Start mentors come with hands-on experience, and thoughtful guidance, and they take the time to truly engage with each team.
Throughout the Program’s three Co-Creation Sessions, our five mentors met with small groups of participants to provide expertise and insight into progressing through each ideation stage.
A heartfelt thank you to our talented and generous mentors: Chey Kidd, Alexander Lam, Selvi Sert, Karima Leslie and Matthew Gaiser for their incredible leadership throughout the Program!
Efe Fruci: Instilling Confidence and Purpose
Halfway through the Program, we had the pleasure of hearing from inspirational keynote speaker, Efe Fruci. Efe is a distinguished TEDx Speaker and serial entrepreneur. She’s a seasoned professional career and confidence coach, boasting a wealth of over 10 years of experience. Her dedicated mission revolves around guiding individuals, particularly women, in constructing unshakable confidence and acquiring the essential steps to lead successful, purposeful lives.
Renowned as the author of “Faith Over Fear,” Efe Fruci’s literary work transcends conventional self-help, employing positive psychology to inspire others to recognize and embrace their innate greatness. Through her empowering words, individuals are emboldened to dream audaciously, navigating life’s challenges with a profound sense of confidence.
Thank you Efe for inspiring and encouraging all of us, not just our participants.
Congratulations to our 2025 Grant Recipients
The participants of this year’s program didn’t just imagine better spaces and programs for themselves, they worked together to build real plans to make them happen.
We are so proud to introduce this year’s 2025 CoLab High School Program Grant Recipients.
The Cayuga Wellness Corner
Our mission is to create a safe, welcoming, and non-judgmental environment where students feel connected and supported. This device-free space, which is available before, between and after classes, is designed to improve students’ overall well-being and increase their chances of graduating and succeeding beyond the school environment.
Channel-Reshare
The overall goal of this project is to deepen understanding of people’s storytelling traditions, the lived experiences behind them, and the diversity of cultures expressed through story. Our team aims to create opportunities for individuals to share their experiences through recorded video storytelling.
The Meeting Place
Designed by students for students, The Meeting Place is a transformation of the school’s learning commons into a space that honours the diverse identities and lived experiences of the student population. The design promotes peer collaboration and mental health literacy through the incorporation of intentionally curated furniture and evidence based mental health resources.
Art Therapy Workshops
As senior visual arts students, our team has firsthand experience using art to regulate emotions and reduce stress—particularly during overwhelming academic periods. Based on this experience, we propose developing a series of art-based wellness workshops designed to help students safely channel their emotions and reduce their stress levels.
Mental Health Safe Space
Our focus for this project is aimed towards transforming the underutilized third-floor foyer at our school and reimaging it into a holistic wellness student hub that integrates preventative mental health programs & resources in a welcoming non-stigmatizing environment. This space is down the hall from the offices that can provide professional mental health support.
We envision the space as a welcoming environment that allows students to decompress and express themselves to the fullest, through music, art, and interactive mental health displays, while offering volunteer opportunities at our inaugural student and staff-operated cafe!
Growing Into You
Growing Into You is a five-episode podcast and YouTube series designed to support the mental health and personal development of high school students. Each episode addresses a key aspect of youth well-being, including confidence, routines, environment, relationships, and gratitude.
The series is created by youth with help from educators and collaborators to foster open conversations, promote mental health literacy, and empower students to grow into their best selves.
Library & Cafeteria Remodel
We believe that creating safe and welcoming spaces for students to connect will achieve opportunities for growth, participation, and ownership for students at our school. We know that we are successful when students are attending and engaged in school.
Art Action Bridge
The Art-Action Bridge is an awareness and action campaign designed to address digital isolation and mental health challenges among Grade 7 students transitioning to high school. Through a theatrical performance of ‘The Day the Internet Died’ combined with hands-on arts and STEAM workshops, we create safe spaces for connectedness where students can build authentic, face-to-face relationships and develop concrete mental health support strategies.
Creating Spaces for Inclusion and Growth
As we wrap up Press Start’s second CoLab High School Program, we’re filled with pride and excitement for what’s ahead. The creativity, dedication, and passion demonstrated by our student participants and their group leaders have driven meaningful progress in the mental health landscape across Ontario high schools. Each of the eight teams introduced thoughtful, innovative ideas and showed impressive growth as emerging leaders committed to strengthening their communities.
We’re grateful to OTIP for their support in making this program possible. Their generosity, alongside the mentorship and guidance of past grant recipients, played a vital role in helping students shape their ideas and move forward with confidence. We’re also thankful to keynote speaker Efe Fruci, whose powerful story left a lasting impression on everyone in attendance.
We look forward to seeing how these inspiring young leaders continue to advocate for mental health, foster inclusion, and build stronger, more connected school communities. Congratulations to all who participated and thank you for your commitment to creating meaningful and lasting change for youth.
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