Mental Health in Primary Schools

URSTRONG’s International Day of Friendship with Friendology is a global school celebration held each year around the United Nations International Day of Friendship (30th July). Its purpose is to celebrate the importance of healthy friendships and to reinforce the friendship skills students learn through the Friendology curriculum.

For 2026, the theme is:

"Friendships are the Heart of Wellbeing!"

The day is designed to help schools create a positive culture where students:

• Celebrate the value of friendship.

• Strengthen their friendship skills using the URSTRONG "Language of Friendship."

• Recognise that healthy friendships support mental health and wellbeing.

• Build a stronger sense of belonging and inclusion across the whole school.

• Practise kindness, empathy, communication and conflict resolution.

As part of the celebration, URSTRONG provides participating schools with:

• Friendship-themed classroom activities.

• Playground games and challenges.

• Opportunities for schools to share their own friendship success stories and initiatives.

Why it matters

The day aligns closely with the goals of the United Nations International Day of Friendship, which promotes friendship as a way to build peace, understanding, respect and inclusion across communities. For schools, it is an opportunity to remind students that friendship skills are just as important as academic skills and that positive relationships help children feel safe, connected and ready to learn. Our school’s ‘Feel Good Fridays’ initiative helps to foster an inclusive school environment and showcase that wellbeing is an essential building block as it encompasses your physical health, resilience and daily quality of life.