CIHW is excited to launch our Mental Health Innovation Pilot, a dynamic initiative aimed at exploring different ways to engage and learn about mental health supports while continuing to promote overall well-being. With its key focus on technology and youth mental health, it serves as a platform for Humber and external industry partners to innovate and collaborate on projects that support mental well-being for post-secondary students.

The first project under this pilot was completed over the winter semester, in collaboration with the Bachelor of Design – UX program (FMCAD). This project, titled ‘Effectiveness of mindfulness technology apps in supporting mental and emotional well-being of diverse post-secondary students at Humber Polytechnic’, engaged 130 Humber students from different programs and faculties. These students interacted with four different mindfulness apps and shared their valuable insights on what worked well for them and what they would need in an app to support their own mental well-being. 

The insights gained then guided 15 UX students to lead and design innovative app prototypes that would better meet the needs of Humber’s diverse student population in terms of content and usability. This project not only provided UX students with practical experience, but also helped them develop critical skills, such as systems thinking, user-centred design, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Many thanks to Professor Vishaal Bedi and the Faculty of Media, Creative Arts, and Design for collaborating with CIHW, and to the Humber Polytechnic Community Impact Fund for supporting this initiative.

Do you have an innovative idea or want to collaborate on exciting new ideas as part of the Mental Health Innovation Pilot? Please connect with Vanita Varma, Director, CIHW at vanita.varma@humber.ca.