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 the wellbeing of young people. Through our wellbeing programs, we aim to inspire students to fall in love with nature through fun, engaging, and hands-on nature activities that specifically address the 4 personal and social capabilities set out in The Australian Curriculum.
Students get the opportunity to take a break from the bookwork of wellbeing, and actually get out and participate in activities that show them that wellbeing can be fun! Learning about wellbeing doesn’t have to be a drag, it can be engaging and we have seen this first hand! We have had many schools tell us that post-programs they’ve seen students get involved in sports or nature based clubs outside of school hours. Our programs ultimately allow students to learn physical skills that will enable them to enjoy nature outside of school hours. Kayaking, rock climbing, putting up tents, bushwalking, sand boarding, fishing, surfing and so much more are great example of fun ways to improve wellbeing – in a way that students will remember!
Our facilitators do indeed touch on wellbeing theory, but it’s our mission to get students out into nature and give them hands-on experience!
Personal and Social Capabilities
the Australian Curriculum
Self Awareness
We guide students to develop awareness of their own emotional states, needs and perspectives. Students learn to:
- recognise emotions
- recognise personal qualities and achievements
- understand themselves and learners
- develop reflective practise
Self Managment
Students learn when and how to use particular strategies to manage themselves in situations, by:
- expressing emotions appropriately
- developing self-discipline
- working independently and using initiative
- becoming resilient and adaptable
Social Awareness
Working in teams on community projects, students better recognise others feelings and know when and how to assist others, by:
- appreciating diverse perspectives
- contributing to civil society
- better understanding relationships.
social Management
Student form project groups to understand how to interact effectively and respectfully with a range of adults and peers. Specifically:
- communicating effectively
- working collaboratively
- making decisions
- negotiating and resolving group conflicts
- developing leadership skills.
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 full-day programs usually start with our facilitators picking up your classes in bus, and taking them to a nature based location. We’ll touch on the relevant wellbeing theory and give students the proper tools they need to deal with circumstances that may come up during our full day program. The practical session can focus on a particular Social and Personal Capability element outlined above, or we can include a mix of all elements. Enquire today to find out more about the types of outdoor activities we offer on our full-day wellbeing programs.
Week Programs
Some schools prefer to go deeper into student wellbeing by offering week long programs. We can tailor programs to be multiple single-day programs that focus on specific elements of the Social and Personal Capabilities, or we can organise overnight school camp programs that encompass specific elements that you wish to focus on with your students.
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 a single full day session at your school introducing topics and generally setting the theme of the program. We follow this up each fortnight with a full day practical session that builds upon specific skills elements in the Personal and Social Capabilities – with the option to do an end of term 2-5 day camp.
Full term programs can focus on one, or many of the 4 elements.
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. Similar to our full-term programs, our full-year programs focus on a particular element each term and will often 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.
The structure of the programs are quite flexible to suit your schools specific needs.
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
Copyright © 2021 STUDENT•EXPLORE•AUSTRALIA. All Rights Reserved.