Short Courses
Student Programs
Psychology and Life Skills Course
2 Hours
This course is also available as PD for educators who teach year 11 and 12 HDPE and/or the Life Skills curriculum.
Grassroots Approach Program (GAP) for senior high students’ fulfills requirements of the Life Skills curriculum. In addition it provides unique and holistic approach to addressing the current ABS social trends regarding high number of relationships breaking down, and the subsequent mental health and wellbeing challenges that ensue.
The skills taught in GAP Life Skills program go beyond good communication skills, active listening and conflict resolution skills. It would be fair to say, the unique relational skills GAP covers are not mainstream, nor conventional.
Senior high students are provided with psychological understanding of behaviour, personality types and relational skills required for creating and maintaining healthy, lasting relationships.
Relationships have significant impact on health and wellbeing. There is strong evidence that supports relationships impact our physical, emotional and mental health.
Grassroots Approach Programs (GAP) are taught in relevant, contemporary and simple way, providing essential and empowering skills to support independence, health, safety and lifelong wellbeing for self and others.
In addition, the students will learn proven and effective strategies for studying and sitting for their HSC exam without the stress and anxiety that is often associated with it .
Topics include (not limited to):
- De-Stressing HSC – Taking the stress out of doing the HSC
- Developing Resilience
- Emotional Intelligence – unpacked and simplified.
- Uniquely Empowering Relational Skills
Teachers OPD – Mental Health & Wellbeing
The Relational Aspect of Teaching
2 Hours
The Relational Aspect of Teaching course covers topics that will help educators gain an understanding about what causes loss of motivation and engagement for students, what hinders capacity to learn and what to do to promote cognitive and emotional health for best learning experience.
There are three processes involved in learning;
- Motivation
- Comprehension
- Coherence
With busy curriculum and high work demands the relational aspect of teaching can be easily overlooked, yet it’s an important factor for the teacher’s and student’s wellbeing.
The program combines psychology with teaching of unique relational skills that are often counter-intuitive, providing a holistic view of how behaviour is formed and how it’s possible to promote change.
Teachers awareness of psychological factors helps create a conducive environment where creativity and effective learning can occur. This is supported by research on Teacher/Student interaction, showing specific approaches help improve results in student’s learning outcome (Teven, Jason J.; McCroskey, James C. 1996).
Topics include:
- Causes and Effects of Trauma
- What Promotes Healing
- Emotional Intelligence in Education
- Relational Skills
(please see core topics list below)
Teachers will come away from the course with better understanding about why students may behave the way they do and how they may contribute toward changing challenging behaviour.
For Parents
The Psychological Aspect of Parenting
1 Hour
Parents are often unaware of the extend of their influence on their child. This program informs and equips parents to effectively nurture their children to become caring, resilient and confident adults.
GAP will equip parents with how to establish feeling of security and trust in their children from a very young age and gain an insight about different personality types. The topics covered in the program will provide parenting skills that promote optimal mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health.
Parents will come away informed about how they can assist their child’s educational development and ultimate success.
Topics include:
- Nature & Nurture
- How to Instill Resilience
- Importance of Nutrition, Sleep and Structure.
- How to Improve their relationship with their Teen-aged Children.
Corporates
Ensuring Healthy Relationships in the Workplace between Managers, Employees and one’s Peers
2 Hours
Cultivating Effective Working Relationships in the Business World.
Workplace culture can be challenging at times. When the challenges begin to cause depleted levels of creativity, productivity and motivation it is time to address the causes and manage the relationships by changing the workplace culture.
Often it is believed it’s not possible to change behaviour of another person, which is true. However, there is a way to change the toxic culture that ensues challenging behaviour.
Grassroots Approach Programs provides insight and the skills required for improving workplace culture, which benefits the organisation in retaining talented and productive team members.
Topics covered include;
- Psychological Insight about Behaviour
- How to Improve relationships and Resolve Conflicts – in the workplace and in personal life
- Emotional Intelligence
- Productivity and Work Satisfaction
- Working with Remote Workforce – building teamwork and connectedness
Due to the current economic climate we have made it feasible for large and small organisations.
Grassroots Approach Program Core Topics
- Emotional Intelligence
- How our personalities and behaviour develop
- Managing Stress and Anxiety
- Developing Resilience
- Essential Skills for Healthy Relationships
- Mindful living and its benefit
Testimonials
“De-stressing HSC talk and the video explaining what stress does were the best things to be learning at this stage. It gave me the strategies that I need to implement to the way I study for my HSC, which gave me hope. Much appreciate it! CHS student.”
“My name is Isabelle, I’m 16 years old and in year twelve. I thought the Grassroots program was insightful and very relevant to me. It planted a seed of knowledge to gain insight into the future. For me it seemed an obvious topic to learn because it’s so integral to the relationships for the rest of our lives! What we learned today was very helpful and valuable because we don’t learn about this sort of thing in any other area of our school life. What was put together brought a fresh insight, and I don’t think we’ll get the opportunity to learn these things once we leave school, so I’m very grateful to be learning it in year eleven and twelve. The topic I found most helpful was about managing stress and overcoming conflict, because it’s unavoidable part of relationships. Also knowing that other people have conflicts and I’m not alone made me feel that it’s ok, I’m not alone.”
“The program gave us a detailed insight into the topic of how to build successful relationships as it was related to our day to day life experiences with approaches used in psychotherapy, integrating it with timeless wisdom. After listening to the presentation, it was easy to adopt the different approaches towards life and relationships on various levels. The presentation, for me personally, was like a new window had opened up. I learnt that most of the “unhealthy” relationships can become “healthy” by having the right approach and adopting the right attitude towards it.
I would recommend this presentation to anyone – specially to students aged 16 years and over.”
“The presentation was the first time I was introduced to the concept of emotional intelligence. I recall we were shown ways on how to recognise and control our emotions. The lessons I learnt that day have remained in the back of my mind throughout my professional and academic career.
I think the reason the presentation left a long-lasting impression on me was because of the presenter’s ability to be vulnerable and share her own personal experiences.”
“The Grassroots Approach Program provided a key platform where students were able to gain a valuable insight into building positive lifelong relationships. While schools often focus on academics in senior years, we often forget that student well-being can be impacted by friendships and relationships. Unfortunately, the information teenagers gain from social media and websites fail to provide responsible advice on this topic which makes this issue even more difficult and complicated.
The Grassroots Approach addresses this confusion and provides young people with the necessary foundations to build positive relationships and lifelong friendships. It was great to see students engaged and empowered in a program which should be essential for all young adults.”
“I really found it helpful to learn the strategies for de-stressing HSC. Real eye opener! Thanks heaps.”
PD Testimonial
“I really appreciated that it was so interactive. Being able to discuss and ask questions made it so much more relevant.
The presenter was very clear, and the presentation was so logical and well ordered, making it easy to understand and take relevant notes.
The other thing was the mix or research/theory and the practical so that I knew how to implement the ideas in the classroom or in the staff relationships. I liked the way it dealt with staff and student not just either.”
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Holistic, practical, relevant wellbeing program which addresses Life Ready course requirements, and provides relational skills for lasting healthy relationships.
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