how the program was developed.

Our first self-worth pilot program for students, The Glass Half Full School Project, was launched at Parliament House by the Queensland Minister for Health on 22 July 2014. We had some wonderful media following the progress of the pilot program (conducted at Corinda State High School in Brisbane) with the final results analysed by The Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

The findings showed an improvement in self-worth for all participating students. We were fortunate to have the involvement of our Clinical Psychologist Dr Lars Madsen, consumer psychologist and media personality Adam Ferrier, and Australian actress Kerry Armstrong. They contributed their time and resources to making the project a success.

In 2015, with the help of grants from the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust at Brisbane City Council, Wesley Mission Brisbane, and the English Family Foundation, together with the assistance from QUT, Sage Written Word and Corinda State High School, MindShift developed, researched and wrote a self-worth focussed educational toolkit. An important part of the toolkit was the research that was developed by QUT during the first phase of the Glass Half Full Schools Campaign pilot program. We trialled the toolkit across multiple year levels, and decided that the material was most appropriate for junior high school students.

In 2016, we completed the final stage of the pilot program with Corinda State High School and now all Corinda students are experiencing the benefits of this dedicated self-worth toolkit. Teachers and students have reported positive measurable differences in school outcomes, and it was this result that convinced us that the Self-worth Teachers Toolkit needed to reach the wider community.

Young people with greater resilience, coping skills and social understanding have a greater chance at dealing with challenges to their mental health. The long-terms benefits are well-adjusted adults that don’t place a strain on social and community resources.

At MindShift we believe all students throughout Australia should have access to education that promotes self-worth, positive wellbeing and stronger mental health. It’s the reason that we’re more than happy to offer the core modules of the Teachers Toolkit on a donation-basis.