Laugh More, Worry Less!

Stand Up Comedy & Improv Programs

for Schools

Our programs are under review, so please stay tuned for a new approach soon.

Stand Up for Student Well-Being

Our Laugh More, Worry Less! programs use stand up and improv comedy led by professional comedian coaches.

We work as visiting artists to promote well-being with strategies for coping with stress and anxiety. Youth enhance their confidence, resilience, public speaking and creative, writing-for-performance skills by shaping their own stories with a sense of healthy humour.

Stand UP for Student Well-Being is a registered Canadian charity.

“The value of laughing for an hour each day is the best medicine around! Additionally, the comedians who work with the kids really connect with them and make them feel ok to be themselves.”

“Overall these camps were very beneficial to my son’s confidence, and I would definitely recommend to others”

student doing stand up comedy in front of other students

Check out our new mini-doc!

You can also see our two other videos by clicking on the arrow at right edge of this box.

Building Confidence and Belonging

Our research proves that writing for performing not only builds confidence but also a sense of belonging in the class. Doing hard things has a payoff for youth!

Sharing Feelings Through Humour

A huge part of finding our comedic voice is sharing sad, awkward moments, or tough times and moving past them with laughter.

Comedy helps people cope with the tough times in life

Comedy helps people cope with the tough times in life. Healthy humour can be the best survival tool. “Laughter is the Best Medicine” is no longer just a quote used to coach people into feeling better. It is a researched and studied area by doctors and psychologists who are finding there is great evidence that in fact, laughter is medicine that can be used to change the mental and physical well-being of their patients. (Vantage Point Recovery, 2019)

Youth with healthy humour as a character strength approach life playfully

Youth with healthy humour as a character strength approach life playfully, making others laugh and finding humour in difficult and stressful times. Rooted in the fields of Positive Psychology and Positive Education, we support the 24 character strengths model, especially the character strengths of humour, bravery & confidence, and creativity. Healthy humour is our goal rather than hurtful humour such as sarcasm and the mean humour of bullying. Our research base is well-cited and respected. (For more on our research base, visit www.viacharacter.org)

Our programs are designed to be FUN and YES we want young people to laugh

Our programs are designed to be FUN and YES we want young people to laugh. We unlock student voices and quickly capture their imagination. We aspire to bring joy and well-being to young people one laugh at a time.

Meet Our Team

What People Are Saying

Over the years, young people said this program helped them:

to make jokes that are funny but also appropriate and kind
to not be scared and to be confident in yourself
to bring out my inner humour
to be more confident when speaking in large groups
to be more open and social

“This program has helped me understand that being different is not a bad thing. It has taught me that I should not be ashamed of my flaws but to embrace them with laughter.”

Student, from a post program survey

“It helped me get all the issues off my mind and really helped me laugh.”

Sonia, Student

“This program has also helped me to make jokes that are funny but also appropriate and kind.”

Student, from a post program survey

“[This program] has been a great success over the last 3 years at North Kipling JMS. [It] created an innovative format using stand up comedy in our grade 7 classrooms to meet literacy and mental health expectations. The teachers and students loved the class visits and culminating Comedy Showcase.”

Alex Tracey, Principal, North Kipling Junior Middle School, Toronto District School Board

“My son Ryan Doyle participated in your program at St. Michael Catholic School in Belleville, ON, and in short, it was a Godsend for him. You should know you’ve had a huge impact on his life! I never saw him enjoy school the way he did during the time you were teaching him. The days that you were there were the days he set his alarm to be up early and ready to go. He worked at his comedy like it was a full time job. Thank you for awakening that in him!”

Amy Doyle, Parent

“[This program] is an opportunity for teachers to understand and appreciate their students better. When a student shares personal experiences and talks about their emotions openly during this project, the teacher can better assess that student’s needs and strengths going forward.”

Kita Szpak, Project Researcher and Teacher

The issues brought up by these students belonged to them and that part of this process was to be comfortable with who you are and laugh at yourself and your situations.”

Kathleen Robson, Teacher, General Brock Public School