In the summer of 2023, we partnered with a community volunteer with lived experience to better understand how people define mental well-being. In partnership with our summer student, they traveled across PEI to speak with people from diverse backgrounds and gather personal insights.

We learned that mental well-being means different things to different people. This key finding will remain front of mind in our ongoing conversations, consultations, and communications. It’s an invaluable perspective for shaping collaborative research and exploring innovative policy solutions.

This important insight continues to inform how we foster connections and encourage coordinated actions amongst our community partners.

We partnered with the Community Sector Network of PEI to gain a better understanding of the mental well-being realities and needs of staff and volunteers working in PEI non-profits. Together, we surveyed these essential ‘helpers’, with a focus on organizations that were responsible for the highest level of service to Islanders during the pandemic and in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Fiona.

Insights from this work helped inform how we support our non-profit community partners through our work, including the delivery of our grant program, research forum, and Brain Story PEI Pilot.

The Alliance adapted and developed an in-depth course on the science of brain development to create a new, positive, and evidence-based dialogue on PEI about mental well-being. Research and knowledge mobilization was embedded into every facet of the program design.

The comprehensive 35-hour training provided valuable insights into the science of resilience and brain development. The goal was to equip participants with knowledge and insights they can build into their prevention-based programming and services.

Participants learned how early childhood trauma creates a lifelong trajectory for poor mental and physical health outcomes. They also explored how protective factors (e.g. physical activity, literacy, social connections, etc.) can be built and strengthened throughout life to help children and adults navigate life’s challenges. The content delivered is based on decades of research and science, compiled from the Center on the Developing Child (Harvard University) and Palix Foundation/Alberta Family Wellness Initiative.

Our Grant Program supports community initiatives focused on improving mental well-being outcomes through upstream approaches.

Our commitment to the science of brain development is built directly into our grant eligibility criteria. Projects must focus on one or more of the evidence-based approaches shown to support healthy brain development in childhood and strengthen resilience and improve mental well-being in adults: supporting responsive relationships, strengthening core life skills, and/or mitigating sources of toxic stress. Every grant-funded initiative serves as an opportunity to build our shared understanding of how real-world applications of the evidence can contribute to mental well-being.

Beyond the funding, we also provide workshops and training rooted in the science of brain development, share insights relevant to their work, and provide a safe space for our grantees to innovate and experiment.