Students Wellbeing Programs in Schools
Research has proven that being exposed to nature can improve the wellbeing of young people, increasing their self-esteem and reducing chronic stress. To that end, we use nature as our chosen vehicle to improve young people’s lives. Through our wellbeing programs, we aim to inspire students to fall in love with nature through fun, engaging, and hands-on nature activities. Students will learn physical skills that will enable them to enjoy nature, such as kayaking, rock climbing, putting up tents, and bushwalking. They will also learn wellbeing theory while immersed in nature. Our programs are flexible in delivery format, structure, and content themes.
Enquire today to discuss options that would work best for your school’s needs.
Why do we run Wellbeing Programs in Schools?
There is an incredible amount of research showing that youth wellbeing is dropping significantly year on year. In 2010, a headspace national survey revealed over a third of students had considered suicide in the last 12 months – we know this number is now even worse. Our wellbeing program in schools seeks to address this crisis using headspace’s expertise in wellbeing, as well as the incredible power of our natural environment.
The science is out!
- A nature-based approach to wellbeing has shown increases in self-esteem and feelings of hope for adolescent participants (Kogstad et al., 2014)
- Adolescents who spend time in green outdoor spaces report a greater sense of calm, focus during study and general wellness (Burriss & Burriss, 2011) (Quynh et al., 2013)
- Exposure to parks and green open spaces aids recovery among individuals experiencing study or personal pressures and reduces chronic stress (Alvarsson et al., 2010) (Vella et al., 2013)
- Connection to nature is critical for promotion of positive psychological states (Beil and Hanes, 2013) (Abraham et al., 2010 (O’brien et al., 2014)
Day Programs
Our single-day programs generally consist of a double lesson on wellbeing theory and a 3 – 4 hour nature-based practical session. The practical session could be as simple as a day walk, or could be a trip to a local rock climbing or kayaking spot. Single-day programs are a good booster to an existing wellbeing program. Full-day practical sessions are also available.
Week Programs
Our 1 Week Wellbeing Programs consist of multiple theory sessions throughout the week. Usually, there is a double lesson on wellbeing theory on Monday and Tuesday, and a 2-day or 3-day camp at the end of the week that gives students an opportunity to practice the wellbeing content. Think activities that are fun, physical, team-based or leadership-based, challenging, and even philanthropic.
Full term Programs
Our full-term programs are the most popular, with students having multiple opportunities to dive deeper into their practical understanding of holistic wellbeing. The program is set up with an initial half-day session at your school introducing topics and overall setting the theme of the program. We follow this up with scheduled lessons each week, or double lessons each fortnight. On week 3 and week 6 we have a full-day practical session outdoors, and wrap up the term with a 3 or 4 day camp.
Full Year And Sequential Programs
For schools that are committed to going the extra mile for the development of their student’s wellbeing, we offer full-year and sequential wellbeing programs for schools. Similar to our full-term programs, our full-year programs focus on a particular theme each term and generally will have a 3 day winter camp and 3 day summer camp woven into the program. Each program is tailored to the group’s year level, and hence sequential programs build upon themselves.
Headspace Wellbeing Program Collaboration
Headspace is a youth holistic wellbeing organisation that operates Australia wide, offering support for 12 – 25 year old people. They have a focus on early intervention and provide support to young people to help them strengthen their ability to manage their mental, physical health as well as study and work related stresses. They are the national leaders in youth wellbeing, and naturally are the perfect collaborating partner for our wellbeing programs in schools.
Our student wellbeing program works in collaboration with local headspace centres in your state or region – with headspace staff and student ambassadors facilitating a group session before our camp, or nature-based day trip! The nature based component of the wellbeing program for your school group is designed around PERMA+ and supports The Government’s 5 Ways to Wellbeing in Nature campaign.
Wellbeing Programs in Your School – Your Role
As a teacher or school principal, you are not solely responsible for educating your students about wellbeing – however, you do have a crucial part to play in helping your school community to build a culture that embraces positive wellbeing. You don’t have to be an ambulance officer to save lives, as a teacher or principal you have that opportunity right now when you engage a wellbeing program for your school students.
Even if students don’t present with any noticeable signs of poor wellbeing, equipping them the skills and education to deal with life’s future challenges is essential – and in many cases, a wellbeing program is increasingly expected by student’s parents. You have the opportunity to save lives and better the lives of your school community. I urge you not to pass this up, and get in contact with us today to see if our program aligns with your goals.
School Wellbeing Programs
Programs for High School Students
Wellbeing Programs for Primary Schools
Resilience Programs in Schools
International Students
Wellbeing Workshops for Students
What a great experience for our students and our staff. Thanks for helping us to organise this program for our year 10 cohort – the whole process was simple, straightforward and the program was a bunch of fun!
Mr. Peters,
High School Teacher at Sunrise Secondary School
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