Calgary woman using hip hop to combat mental health issues in schools

Battling bullying and building bonds through dance Many Calgary grade-school students experience anxiety, bullying, racism. One woman is trying to change that at a school in Ogden.

Connie Jakab has worked in Calgary schools for the last 25 years, teaching breakdancing to students.

At the end of the sessions, she'd have the students form a circle where, one at a time, they could get up and dance in front of everyone.

She says it's a stressful situation for the kids at first, but they all make it a safe space.

"The kids who would go in were the ones with paralyzing anxiety," said Jakab. "And I thought, 'What if we could bring this bravely connected method to teachers and to parents?'"

Jakab grew up in Ogden and attended Sherwood School.

She says she remembers being bullied and called names by other students.

The experience inspired Jakab to create the Bravely Connected Schools Foundation, which she uses to raise funds in the community to support her former school.

"It's a way for schools to not have to worry about barriers," she said. "For finances, for mental health and belonging, supports within schools to combat things like bullying, racism, a breakdown of community."

With the launch of her foundation, Jakab is hosting a round hip hop dance battle for her first fundraiser.

"In hip hop culture, you battle however many people that's your birthday, so 50 is my birthday (Nov. 6) and instead of running a marathon to raise money, I'm battling 50 people," she said.

"I want to raise $10,000; I really believe that there's no social issue that community cannot solve, and so I want to see us rally together and be radically generous to this school so that they have no barriers."

Courtney Zahra's children attend Sherwood School, which has students from Grades 4 to 9.

She's also the School Council Chair.

"I want (students) to feel respected and valued and seen," Zahra said. "Then (Jakab) reached out and the principal CCed the proposal to me, and I was like, 'This is what I want for the community, this is amazing, yes Connie!'"

Zahra says students benefit from a positive, supportive environment in school.

"Those kids that are struggling deep inside, they don't have the connection with friends and then. because they're left alone, it goes to bullying," she said. "Then it hurts even more."

The Bravely Connected Schools Foundation offers practical tools for parents, teachers and communities to address anxiety, bullying and isolation to help every student thrive through the power of connection.

"Every social issue we see is because we've allowed it to be there," said Jakab. "But when we come together as a community, it's amazing what is possible."

Learn more about Jakab's fundraising hip hop battle here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/connies-50-rounds-for-her-50th-birthday