The Resilience Project delivers emotionally engaging programs to schools, sports clubs and businesses. Horsham College, Ss. Michael and John’s, Natimuk and Minyip Primary Schools are participating in the program this year. 

Project facilitator Martin Heppell will be in Horsham this week delivering presentations to staff and students about how the programs will be incorporated into their curriculum.

Related: Stawell introduces Resilience Project program

There will also be a free parent and community information night on Tuesday at Horsham Town Hall from 7 until 8.30pm for community members to learn more about methods to support mental health and wellbeing. Contact the venue to book your place.

Justin Amor, who heads up the Wellbeing and Alternate programs at Horsham College, said he had been endeavouring to get the program to the Wimmera for over a year.

"I went to a workshop at the end of 2017 and was just blown away by the messages that they have, and the program they have put together to support students," he said. 

"Since then I've been trying to find a way to get them to come to the region and deliver their program. It helps address certain aspects of health and wellbeing that teachers need to be teaching, and the whole focus is based around gratitude, empathy, mindfulness and emotional literacy," he said.

"It's designed to make any person, but in this case school students from prep to year 12, healthier and happier, so they can be more focused on their schoolwork and get better educational outcomes."

Natimuk students will only receive presentations.

Related: Wimmera students and graduates to decide what goes in curriculum

Mr Amor said The Resilience Project had devised lesson plans for every year level. He said other schools he had spoken to who had taken part in the program had talked about the cultural change that took place as a result.

"Each student gets a journal, and the teachers get the resources to deliver the material, and there are about 30 lessons per year level up until year 11 and 12, when there are 45," he said.

"Kids these days, it's almost as if they're having to grow up a lot more quickly. They're exposed to a lot of stuff through TV and social media, and probably the pressure they feel in thinking they have to get certain scores to make something of themselves is quite a lot.

"When you add all that together, it's a bit tougher growing up in this day and age, so mindfulness is really important in being able to cope with day-to-day life."

The roll out of the project is being supported by the Department of Education and Training's School Focused Youth Services, Uniting Wimmera and Horsham Rural City Council.