Seasons for Growth

Program description

Seasons for Growth is a small-group, evidence-based education program for children and young people aged 6–18 years. The program supports children and young people to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to understand and respond well to experiences of change, loss and grief.

Consisting of 8 sessions, it is delivered by school staff who attend a 2-day training workshop to learn to facilitate the program.

Seasons for Growth supports children and young people who have experienced change and loss, including but not limited to:

• friendship changes
• family separation
• loss or death of someone they care about
• loss of a pet
• relocation and forced migration
• living away in out of home care
• physical or mental illness
• impacts of war, terrorism or pandemics.

Seasons for Growth recognises experiences of change, loss and grief can significantly impact on children and young people's capacity to connect, succeed, thrive and their resilience and wellbeing. The program provides a safe space for students to learn knowledge and skills to understand and manage such experiences, all critical for their wellbeing.

Seasons for Growth also builds knowledge within school communities, enabling the school to sustain the program on an ongoing basis.

Intended outcomes

• Increased knowledge of and capacity to communicate about change and loss experiences and related feelings, thoughts and beliefs
• Increased self-confidence, coping, problem solving and decision-making skills
• Increased staff/parent knowledge and skills, and community capacity to support children/young people coping with loss and change
• Sustained higher levels of children and young people’s resilience and wellbeing

Program details

Implementation considerations

• Target population: All primary and secondary school staff, and students aged 6–18 years.
• Program adaptability: The program is suitable for diverse cohorts including:
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
  • culturally and linguistically diverse students
  • LGBTIQA+ students
  • neurodivergent students
  • students with a disability.
• Staffing: The program is facilitated by trained Companions. Schools wishing to send teaching staff will need to arrange backfill for their absence as they attend the 2 days of training and later for the Seasons for Growth session implementation (approx. one hour per week, for 8 weeks). Schools can elect to train non-teaching staff to support delivery of the program during class time.
• Training requirements: Facilitators trained in the program generally have the skills in education and mental health/wellbeing and have the necessary skills to encourage listening, engagement and learning within the small group program. Facilitators are required to register and complete the consecutive 2-day training workshop in full to receive the program instructional materials required to implement the program in their schools. Facilitators will need timetable release from class to implement all program sessions.
• Factors to consider: The program is delivered to small groups of 4–7 participants. The program requires the trained facilitator to deliver 8 formal sessions (40–50 minutes per session dependent on program level); one celebration session; and 2 optional reconnector sessions. In consultation with MacKillop Seasons, the program may be delivered with secondary students over 4 formal sessions. MacKillop Seasons recommends that children and young people impacted by bereavement wait 6–12 months before participating in the Seasons for Growth program.
• Australian context: The program has been developed and applied in Australia.

Cost

Minimum cost

From under $1,000

Detailed cost

Seasons for Growth 2-day online training is $900 per person (including GST) which includes facilitator instruction manual and one set of student journals for reference.

Additional costs include:

• student journals:
  • pack of 21 for primary school students is $294 including GST
  • secondary students $357 including GST
• postage and handling ($35.70 including GST)
• a per-participant fee for attendance at Seasons for Growth 2-day training workshop on-country ($300 including GST).

Additional student journals for implementation of the primary and secondary levels are available for purchase at additional cost.