Remi Poliquin
Counsel
Kyle Rougeau Goes the Extra Mile
by Dan Mullins
When Kyle Rougeau opened his email recently, he was met with a message that left him "shocked and humbled." The veteran educator had been named a recipient of the AMI-Quebec Extra Mile Award, a prestigious recognition for individuals who demonstrate exceptional effort in promoting the understanding of mental illness within their communities. For Rougeau, the award is a reflection of a career-long dedication to bringing mental health out of the shadows and into the classroom.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) teacher, currently based at Lakeside Academy, was selected unanimously by the AMI-Quebec Board of Directors for his tireless advocacy. Since 2018, Rougeau has single-handedly coordinated over 200 presentations for his students, providing a platform for AMI-Quebec to reach well over 3,000 youth. These sessions are designed to increase awareness of mental health challenges while actively correcting the erroneous perceptions and fears often associated with mental illness.
Rougeau’s journey into advocacy began years ago at Beurling Academy during a workshop that challenged his perspective on guest speakers. He recalls listening to Yamin Weiss, a speaker from AMI-Quebec, who shared his personal struggles with mental health and addiction in a way that was candid, thoughtful, and deeply inspirational. At the time, most workshops focused strictly on clinical symptoms and disorder recognition, but Rougeau recognized that Weiss’s human-centered storytelling had a far more profound impact on his students. This realization sparked a long-term partnership that Rougeau eventually brought with him to Lakeside Academy.
At Lakeside, the collaboration has blossomed into a comprehensive program. What began as a few small workshops in Rougeau’s Grade 9 Career Development (POP) classes has grown to cover the majority of grades in the school. The format involves an initial introductory workshop where students engage with real-life stories and ask questions, followed by a session focused on providing tangible tools and exercises to help students develop their own resiliency. Rougeau has also worked to embed these vital topics into the new Culture and Citizenship of Quebec (CCQ) curriculum for younger students.
Yasmin Weiss presenting to Kyle Rougeau’s class live and via Zoom during COVID.
Reflecting on his 25 years in education, Rougeau notes a significant shift in the cultural landscape regarding mental health. He remembers a time when such topics were never discussed explicitly, leaving students to navigate “hidden struggles” alone. While awareness campaigns grew over the last decade, he believes the COVID-19 pandemic served as a major turning point, bringing mental health to the forefront and allowing youth to speak about their experiences more openly and without shame.
For Rougeau, the goal of this advocacy is both practical and preventative. He believes that by discussing these topics regularly throughout a student’s development, they can learn to acknowledge their own level of functioning and connect with support teams within the school before challenges become overwhelming. The award will be presented on June 9th at the AMI-Quebec Annual General Meeting, marking another milestone in Rougeau’s ongoing effort to ensure no student has to face their struggles in silence.
“If we try to target this early in life, hopefully we can prevent harmful outcomes and improve functioning as they navigate the difficult teenage years,” Rougeau says. “I am a firm believer in this and really enjoy creating the opportunities for this work within the classrooms at Lakeside Academy.”
