The Mental Health Hackathon has been designed to get students reimagining how mental health services can evolve to better support young people in today's world. Throughout the program, students will explore the challenges impacting youth mental health, develop innovative initiatives for schools and communities, and design digital or physical solutions to enhance support services. The program will conclude with a final pitch where students present their ideas for a more accessible and effective mental health system.
Students can complete this pack digitally, or on a printed copy and will be challenged to work individually or in teams as they complete three activities related to designing their own mental health initiative. Each activity will see students provided with a page of information to outline what is being asked of them, along with a second page of information with links to case studies to help shape their thinking.
To assist students with their ideas, they will be provided with three user personas to consider, all with specific needs and frustrations. As students bring their mental health initiative to life they will be asked to prepare a script and slides for a 3-5 minute pitch outlining their plans.
This is a great activity pack for educators looking to find an engaging way to help students build their innovation skills whilst linking to the interest area of mental health. This activity pack can be adapted to suit your preferred time length and delivery style. It is recommended that students are given at least 6-8 hours of working time to bring their ideas to life.
Challenge Areas:
As students work towards a mental health initiative, they will be working through the following challenge areas to create their solution. These include:
A School-Based Mental Health Program: Students will design a school-based program to support mental health learning for teachers, students, and parents. They will determine the program’s format, content focus, and ethical guidelines to create an engaging and supportive initiative tailored for high school students.
Digital Solutions: Students will design a tech-based platform—such as an app, website, or social network—to support student mental health outside of school. They will define the platform’s target users, content, features, and branding to create an engaging and accessible resource for those in need.
Community Space: Students will design a physical space where young people can connect, unwind, and access support after school. They will determine the venue type, key features, staff roles, and activities offered to create an inviting and beneficial space for their community.
Links To:
Careers
Wellbeing
Digital Technologies
Innovation, Entrepreneurship Or STEM Clubs
This resource is recommended for students in Years 9 - 12.
What's Included:
One PDF Document The Can Be Accessed Digitally Or Printed And Completed On Paper, The Document Includes:
Introduction: The pack starts with an overview of the challenge that students are being asked to solve.
Background: Students are provided with background information on the challenge and the industry.
Criteria: Students are provided with information on what they are working towards and the criteria.
User Personas: Students are provided with three key user personas to consider as they create their final solution.
Challenge Pages: Each challenge has a one page overview of what is expected of students and key guidelines for their solutions.
Stimulus Pages: Each challenge comes with a stimulus page of videos, blog posts and other stimulus for students to explore.
Pitch Page: Once students have completed all the challenges in the pack, they will be asked to create a 3-5 minute pitch.
License Details:
Once purchased this resource is available for use indefinitely by the school or individual that has purchased it. This resource is not to be shared outside of your school community, and can not be resold. Should you wish to purchase this resource via invoice, please email our team at info@bopindustries.com
About BOP Industries:
BOP Industries is an Australian education company on a mission to inspire the next generation of young innovators. Having worked with 100,000 students around the world, our team of innovative educators are passionate about creating future-focused learning experiences for young people. To find out more about BOP, head to: www.bopindustries.com/why-bop