Early
Years
The Resilience Project has a mission to teach positive mental health strategies to help people become happier and more resilient. To continue fulfilling this mission, we are therefore thrilled to launch our Early Years Program.
Our program is now on the Victorian DET School Readiness Funding (SRF) Menu
What's included
- A comprehensive Educator Resource guide which steps educators through a program of 21 sessions focusing on the key pillars of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy (GEM). The program aims to inspire educators to integrate the practice of GEM into their daily program and practices.
- A 4-part digital professional development series.
- Access to the online Educator Resource Hub which contains EYLF and VEYLDF curriculum mapping, up to date information, newsletters and educator self care activities.
- An Early Years Family Journal designed to link the key concepts with the home environment to consolidate GEM practices and to strengthen connection between the home and the early childhood service. The Early Years Journal documents children's experiences at the early childhood setting and invites families to share the experiences together.
- To support the implementation of the program, participants with also have access to live webinars for educators and parents.
Exclusive video content
Program objectives
Introduce positive mental health strategies at a key point in children’s emotional development.
Involve Parents and Carers with the Early Years Family Journal to raise awareness of practical strategies to build resilience for themselves as parents and within their children.
FAQs
With 1 in 7 children under 12 experiencing mental ill-health, early childhood presents the greatest opportunity for intervention to improve the mental health and wellbeing of current and future generations.
Through engaging presentations and practical, evidence-based strategies, the program is intended to help your children, educators and parents/carers to build their wellbeing and resilience.
Session plans
- 21 sessions, outlined in an online Educator Resource hub and Early Years Journals
Child engagement
- 9 fun GEM TV episodes to teach GEM concepts
‘Discovering Resilience’ for educators
- Live webinar for educators (combined with other centres)
Parent & carer engagement
‘Discovering Resilience’ live webinar for parents/carers (combined with other centres)
Early Years Journal with activities to complete at home
Educator Professional Development
A four-part digital professional development series for educators
Access to online resource hub which includes Project + and educator self care
The program has been designed for 4-year-olds, however it provides the flexibility to be delivered to 3 year olds as well. Educators can modify different activities to ensure they meet the specific needs of their groups. There are a number of centres delivering the program to both their 3-year-old and 4-year-old groups.
The cost of the program is $990 plus $19 per child (excl. GST).
The program has been developed to be flexible to fit with the best structure for each centre. It is suggested that a session is completed each week and educators then have the opportunity to build on this content before commencing a new session the following week.
Partnership Centres will attend a welcome call and receive access to the online hub in April, ready to commence the program with children in Term 2, 2022.
The Resilience project is proud to be selected as an approved provider on the Victorian DET SRF menu of evidence based programs in 2022. If the data for your local area indicates a need to support mental health, resilience or wellbeing, you will be able to include us in your SRF Plans.
Unfortunately SRF is not available in other states and territories at this time.
After submitting an enquiry via our website or registering for an info session, all centres will receive an email, which will provide them with the opportunity to reserve a position in the program prior to October 30th.
For the Victorian centres applying for the SRF, we ask that you advise us when you receive confirmation your funding application has been approved. Please provide this information to [email protected].
The program sessions have been designed to require minimal planning time. Some planning time is required to set up activities and experiences, and to reflect on implementation and approaches to best suit the needs of their service.
To prepare to deliver the program educators need to complete the digital professional development series these are self-paced and can be done as a group or individually (approximately 1 hour).
Services should also consider the need for back fill to complete the optional support webinars including; Leading TRP (1 hour online) and Discovering Resilience for Educators (1 hour online).
The videos are different lengths for each audience.
Educators:
- 4 videos that run for approximately 10 minutes and will help to build capacity in the key pillars of the program – Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy.
- Educators will also be invited to attend a 60-minute live webinar on ‘Discovering Resilience’.
Children:
- 9 videos that are approximately 2-3 minutes each to engage and excite children in the program key pillars.
Parent/carers:
- Invited to attend a 60-minute live webinar on ‘Discovering Resilience’.
All children will be provided with their own personal journal, which is included in the $19 per child enrolment fee. This journal will include activities to complete at the centre along with activities for families to complete together at home.
Additional journals can be ordered throughout the year should children join the centre during the year.
The Educator Resource and Early Years Journal contain 21 sessions to be completed throughout the year. Samples of both resources can be found below;
Each educator who is delivering the program at the centre will access the online hub using the login details provided. Wider staff at each Centre or Service will also have an opportunity to view the Educator Professional Development clips to encourage a whole-centre focus on wellbeing.
Families will be able to access the program content through a range of resources. These include:
Early Years Journals:
- Educators will help guide families as to when the journal should be taken home from the centre to enable different activities to be completed at home.
- Educators and centres have the opportunity to share this great resource for families to have an ongoing focus on practicing GEM.
Newsletters:
- These will be sent to each centre and can be shared directly with families via email or social platforms.
The program has been designed to be inclusive for all children and families.
The Early Years journal has been developed to ensure there is a range of support and prompts for parents to practice GEM at home with their children.
The journals are all in English and include a range of engaging activities to cater for all learning styles.
- Community Child Care
- Centre on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
- Raising Children – Good mental health for children: 3-8 years
- Everymind – Connections: A resource for early childhood educators about children’s wellbeing
- Victoria State Government: School Readiness Funding
