Opposite page: Educational director Suzi Friesen with students. Above: Young participants in class. Right: Late hockey player Rick Rypien, wearing a No. 11 jersey Photos courtesy of True North Sports + Entertainment
In the wake of that tragedy, the Jets’ True North Youth Foundation (TNYF) launched Project 11 to raise awareness of mental-health issues, to let young people know they are not alone in dealing with challenges and to teach them coping strategies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more relevant than ever. Jets assistant GM Craig (Zinger) Heisinger, who was close to Rypien, Jets co-owner Mark Chipman and TNYF executive director Dwayne Green collaborated to launch Project 11. They recruited Suzi Friesen to design the program. At the time, Friesen was a middle- school teacher and she had developed and taught a Healthy Mind and Body course. “I always wanted my students to feel comfortable enough for them to ask questions about coping strategies if they were feeling overwhelmed or anxious about something,” says Friesen, who used that goal as a basis for developing Project 11, first as a volunteer and now as the TNYF’s director of Educational Programs. Project 11 began as a pilot program in 2013-14, delivered to 144 Grade 5 students. The following year, it was extended to more than 2,000 Grade 6 students. Lessons have been virtual from the start, since the project relies on a strong video component rather than textbooks. Currently, the 15-week course is delivered to about 70,000 kindergarten to Grade 8
students throughout Manitoba, in French and English. Marking the 10th anniversary year of Rypien’s death, Project 11 will move into high schools this fall. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in five Canadians will experience a mental- health issue each year and 8% will experience major depression. “After our middle years’ program was complete, we first expanded into kindergarten to Grade 3, because we wanted to start the conversation early on, to be preventative. Teaching students the healthy habit of being self-aware, and to self-reflect, early on has really set the stage for our students as they grow up needing to navigate through obstacles and practice resiliency,” says Friesen. Rypien loved kids and had planned to do this kind of work once he got his own life
settled down, Heisinger tells participants in one video. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in five Canadians will experience a mental-health issue each year and 8% will experience major depression. Project 11 is aimed at sharing coping strategies, increasing self-awareness of feelings, and helping kids build positive relationships. Garden City Collegiate has already benefited from TNYF’s high-school pilot program. Students have explored subjects such as healthy communication skills, relationships, anxiety and depression, along with coping mechanisms. Naturally, both Jets and Moose players have been involved with Project 11. Until the pandemic, they visited schools in person. They have since switched to Zoom calls. Organically, Project 11 has also been adopted by schools in Alberta, New Brunswick, Minnesota and even Australia. “It’s been an amazing experience to work together with teachers from across the province in an empowering program that students and teachers are really excited to use,” Friesen says. “It’s been inspiring too, to listen to Zinger, Mark and Dwayne’s hopes for a sustainable mental-wellness program and to see Rick’s legacy come to life, I think it’s been extremely humbling for them.” ■
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