About the
Mental Health Summit

April 17–18, 2026

Cultivating Resilient Minds and Connected Communities

What is the Mental Health Summit?

The mental health and wellbeing of our schools is at a critical point. Students, educators, and leaders are facing unprecedented challenges—and the need for evidence-based, scalable solutions has never been greater.

The Mental Health Summit 2026 in Banff is a call to action. This gathering creates space for educators, researchers, mental health professionals, and leaders to recharge, connect, and reimagine what it means to build mentally healthy schools. Grounded in research and inspired by nature, the summit is designed to spark meaningful change—because when educators thrive, students thrive too.

2026 Summit Streams:

Leading Health Schools and Systems
Cultivating Healthy Classrooms: SEL, Mental Health & Wellbeing
Better Together: Partnering for Impact
Fostering Resilience: Neurodiversity, Inclusion & Belonging
Nurturing the Nurturers: Workplace Wellbeing
Youth Mental Health and Addiction in Schools
International Research Forum for School Mental Health: Research to Practice

Join us in shaping the future of school wellbeing. Be part of the movement!

About the Organizers

Dr. Gina Cherkowski
Conference Chair

Drew Bowman
Conference Operations Lead

Mental Health Summit Advisory Committee

Chris Smeaton

Educational Leadership Consultant, CDSmeaton Consulting

Loriann Stienwand

Superintendent, Valhalla Community School; Education Consultant, Calgary Board of Education

Debbie McKibbin

Deputy Superintendent, Canadian Rockies Public Schools

Mike Shoemaker

Director of Learning Services, Canadian Rockies Public Schools

Dr. Gail Markin

Educational Consultant on Workplace Mental Health and Wellness; Practice Support Coach with the Health Promotion in Schools Team, BC Children’s Hospital