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Adventure to Thrive

Connected Self

In Adventure to Thrive we learn to take care of ourselves and each other. Fun experiential wellbeing activities that foster a class culture of resilience and belonging through learning by doing and reflecting.

  • SA

Availability is confined to specific regions. Contact the provider to check availability in your region.

Pricing: Free, Paid

Origin: Developed in Australia for Australian schooling contexts

Affiliations: Anglicare Communities for Children

Product type: Program; Posters; Student activities

Contact details

Connected Self
ABN: 13 127 402 288

https://www.connectedself.com.au/adventure-to-thrive-program/

info@connectedself.com.au

Focus areas

  • Positive relationships

  • Belonging and inclusion

  • Mental health literacy and life skills

  • Self-regulation and engagement

  • Resilience and optimism

Curriculum alignment

  • Health and PE

Prospective users

Audience: Whole class universal (Tier 1)

Context: School or centre-based

Main beneficiaries: Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5

Delivery style: Delivered by program staff; Student, self-directed

Aims & approach

Adventure to Thrive is an 8 week wellbeing program for primary school age classes: Teachers and SSOs included. Seven 90 minute incursions and a bushwalk excursion led by two trained facilitators take two classes per term on a journey that offers a range of fun and engaging activities. It is available in Adelaide and surrounds, rural as negotiated.

The program aims to promote a sense of belonging, enhanced emotional regulation skills, increased resilience and adaptability, and most of all, build a stronger school community.

Schools provide a suitable space for sessions to take place (Ideally a wet area or open area with audio visual screen, although classrooms can be utilised). There is also a 60 minute QandA session for teaching staff participating and a one hour whole school staff interactive presentation to share the theories underpinning the program.

Success is measured via the Child Resilience Questionnaire (CRQ) domains, which is a comprehensive social and culturally inclusive child-report measure that has been validated for use with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Peoples and Australian children of diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. This allows the program to compare the changes in participants resilience scores to Australian averages and consistently pivot towards adaptions that are tailored to the current climate of students. Additionally, the program picks up on necessary referrals that may otherwise be missed, and interprofessionally collaborates with the school to protect the wellbeing of each child.

Adventure to Thrive has been developed specifically to meet the needs of Grade 3 and 4 as research identifies this is the ideal age range for polyvagal theory based programs. The program can be differentiated for other grades as required.

Implementation support

  • Access to professional facilitator, instructor or mentor

Evidence

The program is based on Polyvagal Theory, Mindfulness, Circle Sharing, and Nature Play. University researchers have analysed participant feedback to inform quality improvement. Poster conference presentation: Investigating experiences of the adventure to thrive program from a participant-centred lens. Underpinned by a Theory of Change, research reports positive outcomes.