The WIN Resource takes the 2017 Agnes Penner Prize

Psychology students at King’s University College presented the results of their community-based learning projects on March 28th with the ultimate goal of receiving the 2017 Agnes Penner Prize. The purpose of the Penner Prize is to recognize student group research with the greatest potential to benefit society. The students who compete study Collaborative Research in Applications of Psychology Science with Dr. Marcie Penner.

The 2017 Agnes Penner Prize was awarded to The WIN Resource presented by Courtney Cadieux, Katharine Constable, and Mayajoda Ingrao. WIN is a research-based guide to promote informed help-seeking for adolescents with mental health concerns. Previous research has identified several barriers to help-seeking among adolescents (e.g., friends are preferred source of help, lack of knowledge of services, concerns about confidentiality and trust, and relying on the self to solve their own problems).

The WIN Resource helps adolescents acknowledge and tackle these barriers by providing information and opportunities to apply this information (worksheets and tools), making it more likely that they will seek and receive services. For example, friends are often identified as an important outlet for support; however, it is important for youth understand when to also reach out to a trusted adult. The WIN tools help teens have tough conversations with an adult. The resource can be used at any stage in the help-seeking process, and even if one does not currently have a mental health concern, as WIN provides the knowledge and tools should an issue occur in the future. 

The student projects were evaluated by a community panel comprised of Lesley Bikos, a former police officer now doing research on the impact of police culture on officer’s lives; Lori Runciman, Director of Grants at the London Community Foundation and Dale Petruka, an elementary school principal with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board and Research Coordinator for the district. Following the research briefing by each of the groups and opportunity for a question and answer period, the panel members awarded the Agnes Penner Prize. Two additional student teams designed:

• Call Me Empowered - a self-guided resource to empower women who have recently left an abusive relationship
  • This resource educates women on intimate partner violence (abusive relationships), social support, financial literacy, at-home care, and goal-setting.
  • Presented by: Huda Al-Sharafi, Alison Croke, Colleen Murray, and Jesslyn Taylor
• Math Anxiety Intervention for Little Learners (MAILL) - a workshop and guidebook that serves as a professional development tool to assist elementary teachers in reducing math anxiety in their students
  • This resource is a two-phase solution for elementary school educators to address the issues surrounding math anxiety in little learners. We provide a guidebook and workshop for an easy to read introduction to how MAILL works.
  • Presented by: Melissa Elfers, Kristina Giacobbe, and Matt Simmons

 

Congratulations to Courtney Cadieux, Katharine Constable, and Mayakoda Ingrao on their outstanding achievement in receiving the 2017 Agnes Penner Prize.