Aditya Birla World Academy hosts student-led mental health festival to promote emotional well-being

Aditya Birla World Academy (ABWA) hosted the latest edition of The Happy Place, a student-led mental health festival supported by Mpower, to encourage young people to discuss emotional well-being and explore mental health through creative expression.

Founded by Neerja Birla, the school organized the festival against the backdrop of growing emotional challenges among adolescents, including social media comparisons, constant digital stimulation, academic pressure, friendship issues, and concerns about identity.

According to the National Mental Health Survey of India, nearly 1 in 7 adolescents aged 13 to 17 experience mental health issues, while fewer than 10% receive adequate support.

The festival brought together students from more than 19 schools, with over 290 participants from Grades 7 to 12. Its wider outreach covered more than 1,000 students.

The latest edition followed the theme ‘The Messy Middle,’ highlighting how uncertainty, setbacks, and self-doubt are natural parts of life. Through activities such as slam poetry, ad film making, stand-up comedy, drama, and dance, students received opportunities to express their emotions and reflect on challenges they encounter while growing up.

Entries were evaluated based on their relevance to ‘The Messy Middle,’ creativity, originality, and their ability to communicate the emotions, experiences, and perspectives associated with uncertainty and setbacks.

The event also featured Mansi Zaveri, founder of Kidsstoppress, as the chief guest. She spoke to students about resilience, perseverance, and the importance of continuing to make an effort even when circumstances do not go as planned.

She encouraged them to view setbacks as part of their personal journeys rather than allowing difficulties to stop their progress.

Zaveri introduced students to the ‘Odyssey Plan’, which encourages individuals to consider three possible paths in life through Plans A, B, and C. The approach aims to help young people prepare for unexpected changes and recognize that alternative opportunities remain available when their original plans do not work out.

Drawing on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, she also highlighted the importance of establishing a strong foundation of well-being and self-awareness. She encouraged students to approach life with optimism and the belief that life is always rigged in our favour; we just need to show up.

Speaking about the importance of mental health education, Shalini John, principal of Aditya Birla World Academy, said, “Mental health education needs to begin early because emotional well-being does not suddenly become relevant in adulthood. The school years are a critical phase when young people navigate significant developmental changes alongside growing academic, social and environmental pressures.”

She further added ‘These formative years provide an important opportunity to equip students with preventive coping strategies, help them understand themselves and their emotions, build healthy relationships, and, most importantly, feel safe and confident in seeking help when they need it.”

Through The Happy Place, India’s first school mental health festival, we aim to create a safe and supportive space where students can express themselves freely, explore their emotions through creative outlets, and recognise that conversations around mental health are a natural and essential part of growing up.”

At ABWA, mental health education extends beyond the annual festival. The school integrates emotional well-being into its regular academic experience through Minds Matter, a mental health curriculum designed for students from Grades 1 to 12.

The program focuses on developing the emotional and social skills students need to manage challenges, understand their feelings, and build healthy relationships.

Over the past eight years, The Happy Place has sought to make conversations about mental health more accessible to young people through student participation and creative activities.

By providing platforms for students to explore their emotions, experiences, and perspectives, the festival aims to help them communicate concerns that may otherwise be difficult to express.

The initiative also seeks to normalize discussions about mental health within school communities, emphasizing the role of creative expression, emotional awareness, and supportive environments in helping young people navigate the challenges of growing up.