Warschauer’s ‘Engage’ program – where students come to school early twice a week and participate in fitness activities, eat a healthy meal and learn how to cook – has transformed the health and wellbeing of many, as well as helped with their engagement at school. The driven young teacher regularly invites guest speakers, including elite athletes, police officers, and fire fighters, to inspire her kids, and gives her students opportunities to volunteer in their community, as well as participate in team building activities to develop their leadership and communication skills.
Parents have been elated with the impact of the Engage program, with 80 per cent reporting that their child’s sense of self-worth had increased, and one parent, whose son was struggling with his mental health, telling Warschauer the program had transformed her son’s life.
Hi Lauren! So, what exactly is your role at Byford SC, and how long have you been there?
I’m a HPE teacher and the Engage coordinator and have been at the school since 2022. Before that, I was at Isis District State High School (in Childers, near Bundaberg in Queensland) for three years.
What are a few things you really love about your role? What’s the hardest part?
What I love and find rewarding about being a HPE teacher is seeing students grow and develop, especially when they do so more than they expected. Coordinating the Engage program I see this growth be accelerated as students become fitter, more confident and stronger leaders over the eight-week program.
The hardest part of my job is not having time to do everything. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough time in the day to provide students with endless opportunities, so I focus on teaching my classes and running the Engage program.
You begin your school day at 7am with Engage. Can you tell me a little more about the program, how it operates and why you set it up?
I’ve modelled our Engage program off the Blue Light Foundation’s Blue Edge. When I was at Isis DSHS in Queensland, I worked alongside Rohin Power (a Queensland Police Officer) and Grant Gamlen (from Blue Light Foundation) to deliver the Blue Edge Program. I experienced first-hand the positive impact that it has on students’ physical, mental, and social wellbeing, so I wanted to bring it home [to WA] with me.
The eight-week program involves students arriving to school at 7am twice a week to complete a fitness session, engage with a guest speaker (firemen, Olympic athletes, apprentice supervisors, nurses, etc) and then eat a delicious breakfast catered by volunteers. To conclude the program, participants complete a fun team-building day that involves an ‘Amazing Race’ and a challenge, such as bouldering.
Since starting Engage I have also added a volunteering element to the program, which involves students volunteering at Byford Baptist Church’s Free Food Market once during the program and then each term, once they have completed Engage. To celebrate students’ achievements, we have a final ceremony where students, sponsors and guests are presented with certificates.
How did you determine what to include in it?
To ensure Engage is catering for the needs and interests of students, I work closely with students to choose guests and workouts. With the workouts I like to have a variety of different training methods, with the goal of exposing students to an activity that they enjoy and will take up in their own time. For example, we do weights-based activities, intervals, sprint training and even host guests who run F45-inspired sessions, footy, Pilates and martial arts. With the guest speakers, I find out what career students would like to pursue, so I can attain guest speakers who they would be interested in receiving advice from.
With the goal of making the Engage program better every time we run it, I also survey parents and students, to see what the program is doing well and how we can make it better.
Warschauer’s Engage program is run over eight weeks, where students come to school early twice a week, and, amongst other things, participate in fitness activities, eat a healthy meal and learn how to cook.
What have been the results of your efforts in the program?
To determine the impact of Engage we survey students prior to and at the conclusion of the program. We also survey parents after the program has concluded. Some of the results of Engage include:
- 100 per cent of participants have enjoyed the program.
- 50 per cent of participants reported their school engagement has improved as a result of the program, the other 50 per cent said their engagement was always good. Students reported the reasons for their improved engagement being, “breakfast helps me focus and activity makes me satisfied throughout the day”, “helped me focus on one thing at a time” and “I met more people”.
- 85 per cent of students believed the program helped them to make healthy choices including eating better, increasing motivation, exercising more, improved sleeping habits and a more positive mindset.
- Students were asked to detail how they have benefitted from the program. The benefits included getting fitter, being more comfortable when working out, creating healthy habits and gaining volunteering experience.
- 70 per cent of parents indicated that their child’s self-worth improved as a result of the program, while 30 per cent said their self-worth was always high.
- Parents reported how their child benefitted from the program. Benefits identified included: “they felt happier and had a way to burn energy”, “nice, positive environment since we have had bullying issues in general school”, “being responsible, time management, goal-setting and working hard to reach them”, “experiencing a program supported by adults and local organisations” and “good lesson in commitment”.
- Fitness testing also proved that, on average, students’ cardiovascular endurance increased (beep test), core strength increased (sit up test) and upper body strength increased (push up test).
Why do you think it’s been so successful and really resonated with students at your school?
I believe Engage is effective as it is evidence-based and we provide students with the opportunity to do what they love. We select a group of 20 students who are fitness-minded, get them involved in workouts, cater delicious breakfasts and they listen to guests that they want to hear from. We also create a safe environment where all students feel confident to strive to be their best and influence how the program runs (workouts, guests, breakfast menu). Ensuring the program continues to develop by surveying students and parents to attain and incorporate feedback is another strength of the program.
Warschauer, who was presented with her award by Federal Minister for Education, Jason Clare, pictured above left, says without the extensive support of teaching colleagues, volunteers, and her family, she would not be able to have the impact she does on students.
What else have you been doing to help your students, whether it be programs, initiatives, focuses to lift their mental and physical health or their motivation levels?
One of my favourite initiatives that I have introduced into my teaching of Certificate II in Sports Coaching is that my students now work alongside students from education support. In a response to students from the education support classes not feeling confident in a mainstream schooling context and my coaching students needing more opportunities to coach, we established a partnership. This has seen my students having a buddy from the education support classes who they’ve coached through fundamental movement skills and rowing sessions.
This has seen significant growth in both groups of students. My students have developed their coaching, patience and have demonstrated working with students with diverse range of skills as a strength of them. The students from Education Support have loved the experience, enjoyed the fun activities and gained the confidence to engage with education support students.
Where does your drive to support students in need to overcome generational disadvantage come from?
My drive to support people in need, and the value of caring for others, comes from my upbringing. In my family, at school and in the sporting clubs (Fremantle Rowing Club and Fremantle Surf Life Saving Club) I have been a part of, there has always been a high regard for volunteering and going the extra mile to support others. This creates the foundation for success in these environments. Continuing to practice these values and giving back to the communities that have supported me extensively, brings me significant satisfaction, as I see students develop into confident and healthy individuals.
In an ideal world, what would you like to be doing in five years or ten years? Where does your ambition lie - in what areas and doing what exactly?
In an ideal world a company would sponsor the Engage programs so I would be teaching HPE three days a week and spending the other two helping teachers from different schools to get Engage up and running for their students.
Within teaching, I am keen to pursue a Head of Physical education role in the future.
How did it feel when you were told you would be receiving an Commonwealth Bank Early Career Teacher award?
When I was told I won the award, I did not believe it. After taking time to process that I’d won the award I was thrilled. You don’t go above and beyond in teaching because you expect formal recognition. So, to receive it amongst a group of highly passionate and dedicated teachers was a huge honour that still excites me. I cannot put into words how grateful I am to receive the award and for the significant commitment of the Commonwealth Bank and Schools Plus of supporting teachers.
Is there anything I haven’t asked you about that you’d like to comment on?
Without the extensive support of other teachers, volunteers, and my family I would not be able to have the impact I do, upon students.
The Engage program is sponsored by the Serpentine Jarrahdale Lions Club, Rotary Club of Byford, Bendigo Bank – Byford and the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.
For more information on the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards presented by Schools Plus, click here.
