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Cool Connections in School

Iris Foundation Australia

Cool Connections is a program focused on resilience and mental wellbeing, helping students build both personal and group resilience by learning strategies to enhance coping skills and safeguard their mental health.

  • NSW

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

Pricing: Paid

Origin: Developed in Australia for Australian schooling contexts

Affiliations: Suicide Prevention Australia; Approved elsewhere: Be You

Product type: Program; Activity sheets; Student activities; Learning modules

Contact details

Iris Foundation Australia
ABN: 30 609 939 728

https://irisfoundation.org.au/resilience-in-schools/

enquiries@irisfoundation.org.au

Focus areas

  • Positive relationships

  • Belonging and inclusion

  • Bullying and cyber-bullying

  • Mental health literacy and life skills

  • Self-regulation and engagement

  • Resilience and optimism

  • Self-esteem and body image

Curriculum alignment

  • Health and PE

  • Humanities and Social Science

Prospective users

Audience: Targeted small group early intervention (Tier 2)

Communities: Diverse cultures or language groups

Context: School or centre-based

Main beneficiaries: Year 5, Year 6

Delivery style: Delivered by program staff

Aims & approach

Connections in School is a resilience program for students in Years 5-6 who are experiencing social exclusion, low self-esteem, signs of anxiety or have poor school attendance.

The objective of each program is to increase resilience, build confidence through the identification of strengths, develop social skills, consider strategies for wellbeing and to create connections within the school community.

The program is delivered face-to-face, and has been running in Central Coast NSW schools since 2016. This 8-week program is comprised of weekly, 90-minute sessions delivered by two trained facilitators. Small group sizes of 12 students allow for more one-on-one support as needed.

Group discussions and learning opportunities are reinforced with related creative projects as students are introduced to the foundations of resilience such as individual strengths and identity, safe places and safe people, the value of gratitude, problem solving strategies and tools to help with anxious feelings and behaviours. The program creates a sense of connectedness and trust within the group that continues into the playground and the community.

The expected outcome of the program is to improve mental and emotional wellbeing indicators in seven key areas - confidence, connection, character, competence, contribution, coping and control.

Implementation support

  • Access to professional facilitator, instructor or mentor

Evidence

Cool Connections in School is an accredited program against the Suicide Prevention Australia Standards (1st ed) Assuring safety, quality and efficacy. Theoretical underpinnings of the skills taught include preventive psychology and positive psychology.