Decjuba Foundation has collaborated with mental health organisation Smiling Mind and Westfield centres to launch The Smile Station.
The interactive space is a free activation designed for all ages to experience and practice mindfulness through games, mental fitness activities and photo stations.
It follows Decjuba Foundation’s $3.6 million investment into Smiling Mind - the foundation’s largest donation to date.
“We are proud to support Smiling Mind,” Decjuba Foundation founder and Decjuba CEO Tania Austin said.
“We are committed to shifting Australia's mental health conversation to be about health rather than illness and prevention rather than crisis.”
According to Smiling Mind, the initiative comes as one in seven primary school aged children in Australia experience mental illness. The organisation added that there has been a 50% increase in the rate of mental illness in Australian youth recorded over the past 15 years.
“Through this activation, we will bring The Smiling Mind Generation to life in an innovative, and interactive way,” Austin said. “We are excited to see this roll out in locations across the country over the next year and look forward to welcoming everyone.”
The Smile Station will begin at Westfield Southland (Centre Court) between September 23 and October 1, with more Westfield locations to be announced soon.
The activation is part of Decjuba and Smiling Mind’s large-scale social movement called ‘The Smiling Mind Generation’, which aims to build the first generation of children who collectively have the skills to navigate their mental wellbeing.