From Social Work to Advocacy: Aislinn Clancy’s Story
MPP Aislinn Clancy is the Member of Provincial Parliament for Kitchener Centre and Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Ontario. Her dedication to mental health advocacy and community engagement extends beyond her work in the legislature, drawing from her experiences as a school social worker and her ongoing support for initiatives like Team Unbreakable.
by Aislinn Clancy, MPP
Hey Team Unbreakable fans! My name is Aislinn Clancy and I’m the MPP for Kitchener Centre and Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Ontario. Before stepping into politics, I was a school social worker for 11 years. During my life and in my work supporting young people, I explored all forms of improving mental and physical health. I believe in counseling and medication when needed, and I’ve personally benefited from therapy as well as exercise and nutrition.
At a social work conference, I learned about the Team Unbreakable program operating in many Ontario schools and I was inspired to bring this program to the schools where I was working. Soon after, I began facilitating the club at Maplewood Secondary School – the first program in the Toronto District School Board. A teacher and I led the group over a number of sessions over a few years at the school. The program made a big impact there. The students who participated often had limited access to running as an outlet. While many of the students struggled with learning and developmental challenges, they had many other gifts. One student who was limited verbally was an excellent runner. Others benefitted by the inclusivity of the club where all are welcome. And of course every student that participated in the 5k race was so excited to finish, to visit another place they’d never been, to meet other young people and to show off their medals and share their achievement. It gave the participants a lot of confidence and feelings of belonging that goes a long way to boosting their overall wellbeing.
The curriculum, matched with snacks and the Learn to Run program made this a holistic prevention program to treat one of the biggest concerns young people face – poor mental health. I’ve since done the 1000k for 1000 dollars which kept my mental health in good shape during the COVID pandemic. I’ll always cherish my fond memories of facilitating this group and do my best to encourage more education workers and youth workers to bring this program to their community.
To this day, as an MPP, I recognize how essential my running practice is to my mental health. At Queens Park, I’ll be sure to champion the value of easy and affordable access to physical activity as a mechanism to address mental health for youth in our communities. And as a Deputy Leader for the Green Party I’m glad we have always led the charge in treating mental health as health. Thanks Team Unbreakable for the gifts you’ve given me and the young people I care about. Keep up the good work!