Mental Health
A novella, a podcast and a 35-page wellness guide
Ayona Jaswal, founder and executive director of The Kindness and Smile Zone, has finished Under Pressure, a 35-page student wellness guide written by young people for young people and now in high schools across London, Ontario.
Colors of Courage is a middle-grade novella, published to give younger readers hope, perspective and representation. Stories Behind the Pain and Smiles is a podcast of conversations about youth resilience, advocacy and lived experience. Ayona Jaswal made both for the same reason, which she gives in four words: "to amplify young voices."
Both belong to The Kindness and Smile Zone, a global youth-led initiative on student mental wellness and paediatric advocacy that she founded and runs.
“Every small act of kindness creates a ripple effect. Through The Kindness and Smile Zone, our mission is to ensure every child feels seen, supported, and reminded of the power of their own smile.”
Ayona Jaswal
The newest piece is finished. Under Pressure: The Ultimate Student Wellness and Survival Guide runs to more than 35 pages, written by youth for youth and developed by an international team of student leaders. It takes on the real pressures of high school, from academic stress and the balance of extracurriculars to social media and the weight of future expectations, and it is practical about it: panic-reset techniques, boundary-setting matrices, media literacy strategies, and plain guides to the school support systems most students never learn how to use. A government grant paid for printing, so physical copies are in high schools and community spaces across London, Ontario, and the digital version is free anywhere.
The work comes out of two other roles. Ayona is a Patient Ambassador for SickKids and a Children's Hero Ambassador for the Children's Health Foundation. In those roles, she says, "I witness daily the invisible psychological and physical battles young people fight."
The conviction is stated plainly. "I care because youth going through medical or mental health crises shouldn't just be expected to survive, they deserve systemic support, a platform to speak, and the tools to thrive," she says.
The work has been recognised with the 2026 BMO Young Adult of the Year Award and the J. Allyn Taylor Community Service Award.