The Inaugural Children’s Mental Health Symposium will be held in Dublin, Ireland, from 20-21 May 2023, spearheaded by the Global Wellness Institute’s (GWI’s) Global Wellness for Children Initiative.

The two-day event will feature speakers including “First 1,000 Days” advocate Sergio Pecorelli, MD, PhD, as well as author Deborah McNeils, creator of Neuro-Nurturing and Brain Insights.

The chair of the GWI Wellness for Children Initiative, Christine Clinton, co- vice chairs Stephanie Rest and Deborah Wilson, along with advisory board members Connie Morris and Dr. Donna Volpitta, will also share their expertise and facilitate interactive panels, breakout groups with a specific focus on brain science, sleep, nutrition, autism in the classroom, music as medicine, preconception health and wellness at home.

“We are honoured to have some of the leading minds in mental health come together to share their insights, their experience and best practices with parents, teachers and government agencies to support the wellbeing of our children,” said Clinton.

The symposium will be held at Junior Genius Childcare, a first-of-its-kind school in Ireland, which is staffed with a dedicated wellness team. The school follows a curriculum based on the science and understanding of the importance of creating healthy habits in the formative years, and the programme features a forest school, green houses, a kitchen with two full-time cooks and a music programme guided by Myndstream and its founder, Freddie Moross.

“The GWI supports our initiatives related to wellness, bringing awareness to a variety of sectors, and we are excited for this inaugural Symposium, which will offer tools for children to improve their mental health,” said Susie Ellis, chair and CEO of the Global Wellness Institute.