Across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week, all students at BSC participated in mental health intervention programs, run by The Man Cave and Flourish Journey.

The Man Cave sessions involve preventative mental health advice and encourage students to improve their emotional intelligence. The sessions have a key focus on the students’ strengths, rather than their deficits. The Man Cave vision is ‘to create a world in which every young man has healthy relationships, reaches his full potential and contributes to his community.’

These sessions gave the boys an opportunity to discuss the unique challenges they are facing, focussing on their relationships with their peers and how to honour their mates.

‘The program allowed the boys to recognise when their banter has gone too far. This can be the key cause of relationship breakdowns within this age group. We want boys to have fun, but be supportive of their mates, and recognise when someone is struggling.’ - Simon de Zoete- Spiero (Assistant Principal and Yr 7-10 Coordinator)

The Flourish Journey program had a similar approach, as they led the girls through a range of exercises designed to create a safe space to discuss their experiences and to feel more connected to their peers. Flourish Journey’s vision is to develop the social and emotional tools the students need to build their self-confidence, self-awareness and social connectedness.

‘Flourish Journey was a great option for our school. We want to empower the students to recognise that setting boundaries is ok and that they have a voice when saying what they will and won’t accept. Increasing their self-confidence and self-worth is critical to boundary setting. We want to really develop and foster these skills in our students.’ - Simone Conroy (Teacher at Beaufort Secondary College and program organiser)

The program recognises that students’ self-confidence is at an all-time low and that young people are feeling more isolated in their communities. Further to this, 70% of young people say that the pandemic & response has negatively affected their social connectedness (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2021). 74% of young people are reporting that their mental health is worse since the outbreak of the pandemic (Headspace, 2021).

‘The day was made possible by a multi-faceted funding approach. Assisted by Stacy Lindsay, the School Focused Youth Service Coordinator for Grampians Community Health, we received funding support through Grampians Community Health. Pyrenees Shire Council also assisted with funding the program, while The Rotary Club of Beaufort volunteered to cook the BBQ each day. This allowed staff to stay present in the workshops and provide support to the students. Events such as these require a coordinated commitment from multiple agencies to make them happen.’ - Simone Conroy (Teacher at Beaufort Secondary College -program organiser)

Flourish Journey- further information for parents/ guardians can be found on their website:

https://www.theflourishjourney.org/story

Man Cave info for parents post workshop:

Your child has just completed a transformative workshop with The Man Cave. We hope it was a positive and empowering experience for them. We're here to help you to continue supporting them on this journey.

Previously, we shared several ways to support your child before the program. Now, we want to offer guidance on extending that support after their experience in The Man Cave. We always get asked this, so below are a few suggestions.

After the workshop, you could…

Create Space for Conversation - Within a week of the workshop, set aside some time to sit down and talk about their experience. Approach the conversation with curiosity but without pushing too hard. Let him share at his own pace, and respect his need for privacy if he isn't ready to open up immediately. Understand that his relationships with peers may be evolving, and don't take it personally if he seems less inclined to share with you.
Shout Out a Unique Gift or Talent - Consider honouring your child by acknowledging a unique gift or talent, rather than an achievement. At the end of each workshop, the boys participate in an 'honouring/shout out' session where they recognise each other's positive traits and actions. You can prepare a similar honouring for your son.

E.g. "I want to honour you for always saying hi to me at the start of the day. The impact it’s had on me is that it makes me feel seen and loved by you, which makes me feel important to you."

All of this might initially feel odd, and your child might be taken aback, but recognising our young people for their character rather than their achievements helps them feel seen and heard. This is crucial for opening conversations and strengthening connections.

Help Them Connect with Us - If your child wants to stay connected with The Man Cave, there are several ways to do so. We offer work experience opportunities at our organisation, and we're also active on Twitch a few nights a week, where they can engage live with our facilitators. Additionally, our Instagram regularly features tips and tricks to help continue the learnings from the workshop. We encourage the boys to reach out to us if they want to engage further.

For more information about what was explored in the workshop - click here. Finally, if you're keen to reach out to us, we always welcome it.

These are the days,

The Man Cave team 🤘

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