COMMUNITY MATTERS - friendship, belonging, teamwork, & inclusion: workshops for primary and secondary schools

The Community Matters workshop is suitable for secondary (year 3 to 12) students and we adapt the content to suit the age of the student audience.

Research suggests that one of the greatest factors in enabling a young person to succeed at school and be resilient is being able to connect with others and feel like they are a valued member of the school community. This workshop looks at the way students engage with their peers and how categorising people can damage our perceptions. We aim at helping students see that school should be a positive experience to connect with others and how we can benefit when we start appreciating our differences. Through interactive activities, stories and multi-media we discuss how to create a great community - we explore friendships, self-worth, respect, peer pressure and promote being proactive in creating a culture of inclusion.

Key concepts covered in the session: 
The following are messages we want students to learn through the seminar:

• Highlighting the importance of a healthy community - how it helps us and how we contribute to it
• Exploring the importance of healthy self-worth including setting priorities and values
• The promotion of empathy and the support we can give to others
• Looking at key factors in identity formation including peers, role models and individual values
• How we develop a healthy character that is others-centred
• Encouraging students to take initiative and make a difference in their school and community
• Promotion of resilient factors and encouraging students to consider others - particularly isolated students
• Giving basic strategies that enable good decision-making to communicate well, work together and make a difference to others

Student Incursion Details:

• Sessions are interactive and involve a variety of activities, discussion and multi-media to engage and educate.
• We offer a range of options from a single session to several sessions for the same or different groups.
• Tailored to suit your school’s specific needs and flexibility to fit into class timetable. (duration of a seminar approx 60-90 minutes)
• Maximum number of students per seminar is 100 students.
• We travel to regional Victoria up to approx 200km from CBD.

• Contact us for a quote on  03 9470 2972  or V4LSS@concernaustralia.org.au

Values for Life provides primary and secondary school incursions that are interactive, engaging and educational. We present on wellbeing topics that enable young people to develop community building values, make wise choices and fulfil their potential. Our team of qualified and experienced educators use evidence-based research to provide learning outcomes that engender pro-social values, empathy and resilience. We are committed to working with staff to identify the most effective program that suits the needs of the school community and recognise that prevention programs are highly successful when part of a community effort.

We also offer the following topics for primary and secondary students:

PRIMARY SCHOOLS:

• GREAT MATES - friendship skills, communication, empathy and trust
• BOUNCING BACK – resilience, gratitude and problem solving and growth mindset
• EVERYONE MATTERS (anti-bullying program) - bullying & cyber-safety, empathy, communication and problem-solving.
• LEAD THE WAY - leadership skills; communication, responsibility & making a difference.
• HIT THE GROUND RUNNING (transition to high school)- dealing with change and setting goals.

SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS:

• THE ART OF BEING RESILIENT – Attitude, growth mindset, gratitude & problem solving.
• EVERYONE MATTERS (anti-bullying program) - bullying & cyber-safety, empathy, communication and problem-solving.
• LEAD THE WAY - leadership skills; communication, responsibility & making a difference.
• MORE THAN SKIN DEEP (discovering true femininity) – challenging stereotypes, building positive self-worth & confident communication skills.
• PRIORITY PURSUIT (setting & achieving your life goals) - developing priorities, setting goals, building resilience and healthy values that inform our actions.