In order to better prepare youth to deal with difficult situations in their life, the University of Alberta ran a pilot project through the Red Deer public schools.

The Empathy Project ran from 2013 until 2015, and the results indicated that it helped to significantly reduce cases of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

The program was introduced following a rash of suicides among youth in Red Deer in the 2013-2014 school year.

The project was offered to more than 6 thousand youths from grades 6 to 12, and were introduced during in class lessons during their regular health curriculum.

Superintendent for Red Deer Public Schools Stu Henry explains how the project gives kids the skills they need to deal with issues in their lives.

"Biggest part of the project is we provided mental health skill building lessons to our grade 6, 7, and 8 kids. So basically just giving some better coping skills, some self-talk skills when they are dealing with stressful situations in the hopes that as life gets tougher for them as they get older, they have those skills to draw back on."

Henry says funding for the project ran out last year, but they decided to stick with some aspects of the program due to its success.

Those include some of the in classroom teaching, and having a few mental health therapists, provided by Alberta Health Services, working out of their schools instead of their downtown office, which can difficult and intimidating for students to seek out on their own. Henry hopes having them right in the school will make them much more accessible to students.

So far, Red Deer public schools are the only district to implement the Empathy Project, but Henry hopes the word will spread, and more districts will reach out to the University of Alberta.