What is the Bounce Back! program?

Bounce Back! is an award-winning wellbeing and resilience class-based program for children and young people from Kindergarten to Middle School. Bounce Back! offers practical strategies to help children and young people function well at school and in life.

Bounceback! promotes positive mental health, wellbeing and resilience for students and teachers plus safe and supportive class and school learning environments.

The Key Features of Bounce Back!

Bounceback! is a long-term, multi-year, multi-faceted whole-school program and not just an ‘add-on’. It is a universal program taught to all students, not just selected students. However concepts and skills from the program can also be further consolidated in individual or small-group sessions. The components and teaching strategies in the program are all evidence-based.

The Bounceback! program is taught by classroom teachers and based predominantly on children’s literature (especially younger and older picture books) and follow-up language/literacy activities. There is a strong focus on circle time, cooperative learning approaches & educational games to build positive relationships, positive emotions and teach social-emotional skills.

The social and emotional knowledge, skills and concepts in Bounce Back! are integrated with academic content wherever possible. Many aspects of the program can also be integrated with History, Social Studies, Health, Maths, Science, Music, Art & Drama. The psychological content of Bounce Back! is predominantly drawn from two core models: Cognitive Psychology and Positive Psychology.

Parenting notes are provided on the Bounce Back topics so parents can be supporting the key messages in the home.