Overview

Alignment with Be You Domains

Learning Resilience

Alignment with Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)

Children are confident and involved learners
Children are connected with and contribute to their world
Children are effective communicators
Children have a strong sense of identity
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

Target audience

Early learning
Primary school
Secondary school

Target groups

Individual
Small group
Whole class
Whole school

Aims

Rock & Water is aimed at raising self-awareness of personal strengths and abilities and at learning how to play, work and live together with others in a changing, multicultural society. The concepts 'rock' and 'water' are used as a metaphor throughout the program for adults, children and young people to explore and choose different forms of communication (for example, does the situation require a rock attitude or water attitude). Practice-focused physical exercises and activities make it easier to transfer these skills to situations in daily work or life. Rock & Water is designed to enhance children's resilience skills, monitor and identify their reactive behaviour patterns when placed in times of stress, develop their capacity to work effectively in a group situation by analysing how relationships are strengthened, and to stand with focus and determination as an individual.

Program theory

The program is founded on a psycho-physical framework and has aspects of key philosophies such as brain gym, mindfulness and the philosophies of the Rock & Water Program developed by Dutch educationalist Freerk Ykema.

Topics

The range of topics include standing strong, standing strong in confrontation, walking away, strong verbal communication, breath, body language, feeling, respecting and setting boundaries, group responsibility, intuition, how to deal with a threatening group, social safety net, peer pressure, mental strength, sexuality, inner strength.

Cost

Trainee accreditation: 3-day workshop $840 per person; 2-day primary school focus $660 per person; 2-day autism focus $645 per person; 2-day girls and women focus $645 per person; 1-day introductory $2,500 for up to 20 people; 1-day introductory $3,225 for up to 30 people. Once individuals receive their accreditation, options available are to deliver the program to children and young people free of charge or to deliver the program to children and young people at a price set by the trained facilitator.

Program structure

There are 24 lessons in the program (sessions are 45-60 minutes). The program sessions can be tailored depending on the needs of the group receiving the program.

Instructor

External facilitator
Psychologist
Educator
Wellbeing leader

Instructor training

3-Day Workshop: complete program overview and most comprehensive training experience of the program. 2-Day Focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): for adults supporting young people living with a diagnosed disorder such as autism. The intention of this workshop is to enable children living with ASD to lead their own lives as independently and autonomously as possible. 2-Day Primary School Workshop: for teachers, support staff, counsellors, case managers, mentors, parents and social workers, or any adult working or supporting primary-school-age children. 2-Day Focus on Women and Girls Workshop: pays special attention to the developmental challenges and qualities of teenage girls and women. 1-Day Primary Introductory workshop: focuses on the basics of the program. This training will instruct participants on the language and concept of Rock & Water and the underpinning Rock & Water principles.

Supporting resources or materials available with program

DVD
Manual
Posters
Workbook

Ongoing support

Ongoing phone contact. Lesson-plan writing, program delivery methods, business development.

Parent involvement

Attend information sessions
Homework
Written information provided to parents

Origin of program

Australia

Rock & Water Central

Program authors

Freerk Ykema

: PO Box 1135,Flinders Park SA 5025 Australia

: +61 423 159 440

: tim@rockandwaterprogram.com.au

: Visit website

Ratings

2/4 Evidence

3/4 Implementation

Summary of evidence factors

This is a summary of the evaluation or research study characteristics that contribute to the program’s evidence rating.

Positive impact on at least one outcome for children and/or young people?	Yes
Link between program description and theory of change	Some links
Study design	Quasi-experimental
Independence	Completely

Summary of implementation factors

This is a summary of the program’s characteristics that contribute to its implementation rating.

Feedback sought from participants	Yes
Feedback sought from instructors	Yes
Groups program is not suitable for	Not assessed
Training provided during study	Face to face, all instructors, in person
Ongoing instructor support provided during study	Yes

Context

This is a summary of the context in which the evidence for the program was established.

Study Participants	Primary school Secondary school
Country of Study/s	Australia
Location of Study/s in Australia	SA
Evaluation of program in culturally and linguistically diverse populations	No
Evaluation of program in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people	No
Evaluation of program in low socioeconomic groups	No
Developmental based adaptations to program design and delivery	No
Evaluation of program in children and young people with disability and/or learning difference	Yes

Last updated: 19 November 2021