R U OK? has released free resources specifically designed for primary and secondary educators to develop the capacity of students to support someone they know who might be going through a tough time or struggling with life.
The resources are free, age-appropriate, co-developed with educators, mapped to learning themes and aligned with learning objectives.
While R U OK? Day will take place on Thursday 12 September 2024, the resources are designed to help schools build and maintain an R U OK? culture amongst staff, students, and the wider school community.
“Educators are passionate about doing the very best for the young Australians in their care despite managing workload pressure, staff shortages and long hours,” Dr Hannah Brown, Education and Young People Manager at R U OK?, said.
“They recognise that for their students, supporting their peers and talking with each other about how they’re really feeling are important life skills.”
The R U OK? calendars and e-newsletters feature free resources to support educators in teaching these skills to students throughout the academic year. All resources are co-developed with educators to ensure they are relevant and effective in real classroom settings.
“During our consultations with educators, we consistently heard that time constraints were a barrier to searching for supporting resources,” Dr Brown said.
“By creating the opportunity for educators to receive resources directly and focusing on concise, easy-to-implement ideas, we hope to simplify workflow and support the dedicated teaching community to embed these important life skills among their school community every day of the year.”
2024 R U OK? educator resources include:
- Calendars: Tailored for both primary and secondary school educators, these one-time downloads highlight important dates and provide links to free activities and resources for use year-round in the classroom.
- Dedicated educator e-newsletter: A concise quarterly email update, featuring links to practical resources, ideas for classroom activities, and inspiring stories from educators who are fostering an R U OK? culture in their community throughout the year.
Educators can access these free R U OK? resources at ruok.org.au/education.
More reading
New app launches to help tackle teen mental health
