Skip to content
Be You home
  • Get started
    • Pre-service educators
    • Educators
    • Leaders
    • Action Teams
    • Support existing priorities
    • Register your learning community
    • Be You for VET
    • Education Voices
  • Learn
    • Mentally Healthy Communities
    • Family Partnerships
    • Learning Resilience
    • Early Support
    • Responding Together
  • Resources
    • Mental health services and support helplines
    • Suicide Prevention and Response
    • Mental Health Continuum
    • Sessions and Events
    • Programs Directory
    • Responding to natural disasters
    • Bushfire Response Program
    • Tools and guides
    • Educator wellbeing
    • Cultural Actions Catalogue
    • Disability Inclusion Guide
    • Fact Sheets
    • Coronavirus support
  • About
    • History of Be You
    • Organisations involved
    • Evidence base
    • Stories
    • FAQs
    • Privacy collection statement
Register or Log in
  • Get started
    • Pre-service educators
    • Educators
    • Leaders
    • Action Teams
    • Support existing priorities
    • Register your learning community
    • Be You for VET
    • Education Voices
  • Learn
    • Mentally Healthy Communities
    • Family Partnerships
    • Learning Resilience
    • Early Support
    • Responding Together
  • Resources
    • Mental health services and support helplines
    • Suicide Prevention and Response
    • Mental Health Continuum
    • Sessions and Events
    • Programs Directory
    • Responding to natural disasters
    • Bushfire Response Program
    • Tools and guides
    • Educator wellbeing
    • Cultural Actions Catalogue
    • Disability Inclusion Guide
    • Fact Sheets
    • Coronavirus support
  • About
    • History of Be You
    • Organisations involved
    • Evidence base
    • Stories
    • FAQs
    • Privacy collection statement
  • Register
  • Log in
  1. Programs Directory

Cool Connections in School

Iris Foundation

Cool Connections in School is a wellbeing program that helps children in years 5 and 6 identify their strengths and better manage their mental health.
  • Visit website
  • Print
1/4 Evidence

The evidence rating is scored out of 4 and provides an assessment of the evidence underpinning the program.

1/4 Implementation

The implementation rating is scored out of 4 and provides an assessment of the program's training, support and acceptability by participants and instructors.

  • Overview
  • Cost
  • Structure
  • Organisation
  • Ratings
Contact program Back to top

Overview

Alignment with Be You Domains

  • Learning Resilience

Alignment with Australian Curriculum

  • Health and PE
  • Humanities and Social Sciences

Target audience

  • Primary school

Target groups

  • Small group

Aims

Cool Connections in School's key focus is to work with students identified as experiencing social exclusion, low self-esteem, and signs and symptoms of anxiety. The program has a significant art component and aims to increase resilience by working with students to build their confidence, better manage their mental health and develop their social skills, and create a sense of connectedness with others at school and in the community.

Program theory

Cool Connections in School addresses contemporary wellbeing and resilience concepts important to student development in years 5-6. The program is informed by and supports the Australian Curriculum of the Personal and Social Capability Continuum, Critical and Creative Learning Continuum, and Ethical Understanding Continuum. It was developed in consultation with educators, art therapists, and mental health professionals.

Topics

Connections; Self-worth; Confidence; Support networks; Empathy; Self-management and Hope.

Cost

$490 per child (includes GST) for an 8-week program. Maximum of 12 students minimum of 10.

Program structure

Cool Connections in School is an 8-week program made up of weekly, 90-minute sessions delivered face-to-face by two qualified and experienced facilitators.

Instructor

  • External facilitator

Instructor training

Not provided

Supporting resources or materials available with program

Not provided

Parent involvement

  • None

Origin of program

Australia

Iris Foundation

Program authors

Iris Foundation

Address
Post Office Box 206,Wyong NSW 2259 Australia
Phone
0418 761 461
Email
enquiries@irisfoundation.org.au
website
Visit website

Ratings

1/4 Evidence

The evidence rating is scored out of 4 and provides an assessment of the evidence underpinning the program.

1/4 Implementation

The implementation rating is scored out of 4 and provides an assessment of the program's training, support and acceptability by participants and instructors.

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?

The study reported positive outcomes.

No
Link between program description and theory of change

Theory of change refers to whether there was a comprehensive description and illustration of how and why a desired change is expected to happen in a particular context.

None
Study design

Type of study design reported.

Qualitative/Post cohort
Independence

The degree to which the program authors were involved in the research.

None

Summary of implementation factors

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

Feedback sought from participants

Participants enjoyed the program and understood its benefits.

Yes
Feedback sought from instructors

Instructors enjoyed the program and understood its benefits.

Yes
Groups program is not suitable for

Groups the program wouldn't be suitable for or that required further research to determine suitability.

Not assessed
Training provided during study

The model of training provided.

None
Ongoing instructor support provided during study

Whether ongoing support is provided.

No

Context

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

Study Participants

Pre school, primary school (Foundation to Year 6), secondary school (Years 7 to 12).

Primary school

Country of Study/s

The location in which the evidence or research was conducted.

Australia

Location of Study/s in Australia

The state (or states) the program was assessed in Australia.

NSW

Evaluation of program in culturally and linguistically diverse populations

Provider has included culturally and linguistically diverse people when assessing the program.

No
Evaluation of program in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people

Provider has included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples when assessing the program.

No
Evaluation of program in low socioeconomic groups

Program has evaluated a diverse socio-economic population in their research.

No
Developmental based adaptations to program design and delivery

Shorter sessions for younger students or activities are adjusted for age appropriateness.

No
Evaluation of program in children and young people with disability and/or learning difference

Provider has included participants with a disability or learning difference when assessing the program.

No

Last updated: 16 December 2021

Quicklinks

  • Get started
    • Pre-service educators
    • Educators
    • Leaders
    • Action Teams
    • Register as an individual
    • Be You for VET
    • Education Voices
    • Register your learning community
  • Learn
    • Mentally Healthy Communities
    • Family Partnerships
    • Learning Resilience
    • Early Support
    • Responding Together
  • Resources
    • Mental health services and support helplines
    • Suicide Prevention and Response
    • Sessions and Events
    • Programs Directory
    • Responding to natural disasters
    • Tools and guides
    • Educator wellbeing
    • Cultural Actions Catalogue
    • Disability Inclusion Guide
    • Fact Sheets
    • Coronavirus support
  • About
    • About Be You
    • History of Be You
    • Organisations involved
    • Evidence base
    • Stories
    • FAQs
  • Delivered by
    • Beyond Blue home
  • In collaboration with
    • Early Childhood Australia home
    • Headspace home
  • Funded by
    • Australian Government Department of Health home
  • Follow us

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • LinkedIn
  • Contact us
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy
  • Privacy collection statement

Copyright © 2023 Australian Government

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags

Be You acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend our respect to all Elders and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples across Australia.